Acceptance
by Danny vs A Month
Summary: Zoey is separated from the others, and left at the mercy of a horde, a Tank, and a Hunter. But the most unlikely savior in history happens across her. But who really saved who?
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Left4Dead or any of the characters. I decided to redo this story. Including weapons and infected from Left4Dead 2.

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Separated

Zoey peeked around the corner, pistol held tightly in both hands. Down the alleyway from the corner, there were two infected Zoey leaned back around the corner, holding up two fingers. Francis nodded, stepping around the corner with his crow bar. One of the infected looked over at him and then growled, the other looking as well. A moment later, they were both charging at him. Francis walked forward to meet him. He swung hard, caving in the first infected's softened skull. Then, he pulled the infected sideways, knocking it into the other and knocking both to the floor. As the still moving one was standing, Francis swung at it, hitting it in the side of its neck, its softened flesh and bone both giving, the head spinning into the air.

"I hate zombies," Francis grumbled, swinging the crowbar to remove the blood and chunks of infected that had stuck to it.

Zoey and the others walked over and they silently made their way down the alleyway. They had been moving as a group for weeks, and their teamwork had improved dramatically since they began. Francis was, contrary to his appearance, their stealth killer, using his crowbar to kill small groups without drawing attention. Aside from that, he kept an M16 across his back. Louis was their walking pharmacist and pistol expert, sticking to a pair of pistols with seemingly endless ammo to fight, and using the rest of his pockets for a single medkit, and as much as ten bottles of extra-strength pain pills at any given time. He had some medical training too, since he had had to reset a broken bone for Francis, which Francis was still taking pain meds for. If Zoey was being honest, she was sure all of them would be addicts by the time they found one of the sanctuaries that were spread across America and were rumored to be infection free and safe to live.

Bill was their arms dealer, somehow being able to sniff out weapons and being able to find the best. He personally carried a fully-automatic shotgun, an AK-47, and a grenade launcher, in addition to pistols. How he carried ammo for it all, Zoey would never understand. Zoey herself favored one Sig Sauer P220 handgun, and an AK in case she needed something with more kick, like if there was a Tank or Witch.

As they left the alleyway, they formed a tight circle, facing in all directions and making their way across the parking lot they found themselves in. They could see the safe house door in the ground floor of the mall ahead of them. However, just as they were halfway there, a roar rang out into the late afternoon air. Francis swore and all four broke into a run. They were close. Barely three hundred meters. Then two hundred. Infected began to flood from the alleyways and streets all around them. A normal rush, as Zoey had begun to call the seemingly random and unwarranted attack by a small horde, was just that, a _small_ horde rushing them and subsequently dying in a hail of gunfire. This was not that. Within seconds, the massive parking lot had hundreds of infected swarming into it.

One hundred meters. Fifty. They began to fire backward, not slowing down from a dead sprint, but still dropping infected. Twenty. Fifteen. Inevitability hit Zoey like a freight train, or maybe it was the Charger that was suddenly holding her two feet off the ground, almost a hundred meters from the door. The first impact made her head scream in agony, and her pistol skitter away. The second made everything go fuzzy. Suddenly, she was snapped back to the world as a bullet punched through her left calf. She screamed in agony, even as the Charger collapsed, landing halfway on top of her. She tried to scream again as her uninjured ankle was sprained by the weight shoving it into the wrong position, but the Charger's massive right arm had hit her stomach, robbing her of her breath. She looked around, seeing infected closing in. She reached for the pistol, but it was out of reach. Suddenly, bullets began to fly over her, Louis and Bill stepping up on either side, Louis spraying pistol bullets at the further away side as Bill fired his AK in one hand in short bursts, and his grenade launcher in the other, reloading it between shots one-handed thanks to the grenade launcher's sling, a feature they rarely found when they grabbed random guns.

Francis heaved the Charger up, rolling it off of Zoey, who scrambled to her pistol in time to roll over and drop three infected that had somehow managed to get to Louis. Then, Francis yanked Zoey up onto his back, Zoey wrapping her legs and one arm around him, firing with her right as Francis sprayed bullets from his M16, mowing down any infected foolish enough to try to get between them and the door. Fifty meters. Forty. Thirty. A Hunter leapt at Francis and Zoey, clearly wanting a two-for-one deal, only to be blasted out of the air by a shotgun blast from Bill. A Jockey leapt onto Louis's shoulders, only for Francis to put a pair of rounds through its head, knocking it off again. Ten meters.

Zoey's stomach dropped as a solid wall of red rotting flesh and stupidly large muscles stepped out of an alleyway just beyond the safe room, a grunt registering in her ears even over the gunfire before the Tank thundered toward them. Francis shouted a warning, throwing Zoey sideways away from himself before the Tank's massive arm slammed into him, hurling him into Bill. Both crashed to the ground and Louis grabbed them off of the ground instantly as the Tank turned after Zoey. She scrambled away from it, oblivious to the other infected leaving the much more dangerous infected plenty of room to catch his chosen meal, swarming the others instead. Zoey looked to them, seeing them look to her, indecision clear in their faces, before Bill smashed a molotov on the lead infected heading for them, all three retreating into the safe room and slamming the door, locking it.

"No!" Zoey shrieked. "Please! Don't leave me! Bill! Louis! Francis! Francis please! HELP ME! ! !"

She saw Francis's face in the barred window for half a second before he moved aside, a flat white object, probably a table, was shoved in front of the window. She screamed in a mixture of fear and dismay. Then, the Tank picked her up, its hand wrapped almost all the way around her lower abdomen. For a moment, she was afraid it would crush her, or slam her back down like a Charger. Then, she found herself rag dolling through the air. She didn't even have time to scream before she slammed into a wall of infected, the infected breaking her fall. They scrambled out from under her instantly, moving in for the kill, only for a massive chunk of concrete to plow through them, killing them all. Miraculously, the only thing to hit Zoey was an infected's show, which split her lip open and made her head ring but didn't do much else. The Tank snorted and roared like a gorilla before thundering toward her again. Zoey screamed, reaching around herself for anything she could use for defense. What she found was a hand that had broken off of an infected. She hurled it at the Tank, hitting it in the face, and it jerked its head back, veering off to the side somehow, and crashing into the infected. It slowed to a stop, smashing the infected away from itself.

Instantly, a piercing mix between shriek and howl rang out and Zoey's blood ran cold. As if a Tank and a horde weren't enough, now there was a Witch. Then, as if to prove that it could always be worse, a Hunter crashed down on her stomach, knocking the air from her lungs before its claws tore into her side. She threw her hand up, slapping the Hunter, and it slashed again. Her forearm blocked it this time, shielding her torso but receiving the gashes instead. Then, as its arm pulled back again, a hand suddenly grabbed the Hunter by the face, yanking him off of Zoey, his foot slamming into the bottom of Zoey's chin in the process, stunning her. She groaned, holding a hand to her injured side, slowly rolling onto her other side as the Witch's shriek rang out again, almost directly over her now. She cringed, curling further into the fetal position. She hated this. The fear, the pain, the not knowing which of the infected would tear her intestines out first.

Finally, after a few minutes of not being touched, let along killed, she slowly raised her head, looking around. The infected were gone. Not all of them. A handful, probably twenty, were in the parking lot still, but all a long distance away, none closer than three hundred meters, and none in a group of more than two. She slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position, looking around. Lying about twenty feet away was the Hunter, its ribs jutting out of a gaping hole that took up the majority of the front of its torso, its ruined intestines and shreds of skin lying around it in a soup of flesh and coagulated blood. It looked like a corpse after a Witch got done with it. She looked a little more to the left, seeing the Tank lying about a hundred feet away, its back looking like someone had hacked at it with a chainsaw for a good twenty minutes, and its head having been ripped completely off and dropped beside it, one leg also having been removed.

Zoey stared, uncomprehendingly at the corpse before realizing that the witch also wasn't there. She looked around, then froze as she spotted it, pale grayish white skin caked in fresh blood over a layer of mud and grime, messy, filthy, blood-soaked hair falling around her head in clumps, bloodshot eyes with red irises, and a tattered tank top, long since ripped into a bra, and panties hanging off of her, both filthy and turning grey from dirt and stained with blood. The witch stared at her in silence, Zoey too afraid to move. The witch should be tearing her apart. It also shouldn't have killed the Hunter. The Tank maybe, since the Tank had thrown infected into it, Zoey suspected, but not the hunter. Speaking of infected, where the hell did they go?

She slowly looked to the safe room, then back. She began to drag herself toward the door, for lack of a better idea, the witch watching. As Zoey passed her fallen pistol, she picked it up, taking it with her. After about thirty feet, the witch stood, walking after Zoey, eyes not leaving her. Zoey glanced at the door. Then back. She froze. The witch was kneeling directly in front of her. Zoey didn't move, breathe, or even blink. The witch reached out a clawed hand, lifting Zoey's injured arm and sniffing the scratches, then let the arm fall, poking a claw to the gashes in Zoey's side. Zoey shouted in pain, jerking away instinctively, the witch hissing. However, it didn't hurt her. It raised its claw to its nose, sniffing it before licking it off, briefly exposing her teeth, which were less pointed than the other witches Zoey had met.

Then, the witch picked Zoey up. Zoey went rigid, not daring to move. She could feel the claws against her skin, but they weren't cutting her yet. The witch began to walk, pushing the safe house door and easily breaking the bar and pushing everything out of the way, betraying her monstrous strength and entering the safe house, setting Zoey on an island table before walking back to the door, inspecting it from every angle before nudging it. The door swung partially closed. The witch pushed the door closed the rest of the way, staring at the bar to secure it. It had broken free of the wall, rendering it useless. After a moment, the witch pushed all of the furniture that had been barring the door back into place and turned away from it, back to Zoey. She stalked over to her captive possibly prey and grabbed a handful of Zoey's shirt. Zoey squeezed her eyes shut just seconds before a tearing sound reached her ears. She looked down, staring at the remains of her shirt and hoodie, both lying on the floor, leaving her in only a bra.

"Hey!" Zoey snapped, the witch staring up at her with an expression Zoey would almost call curiosity. "Was that really necessary?"

The witch turned back to Zoey's wound, reaching toward it but Zoey shied away from the claws. The witch stared at them, then lifted Zoey's own hand, staring at her fingers. The witch turned Zoey's hand over, placing her palm against Zoey's as Zoey stared in amazement, watching as the witch's claws shrunk back into fingers, the hardened flesh softening until they were as smooth as fresh skin. Then, the witch reached down, gently prodding at Zoey's wounds for a minute before Zoey lifted a hand, pointing to a medkit lying on a table. She couldn't believe that the others had left it, but she wasn't going to complain.

"I can bandage myself if you give me that," Zoey said.

She doubted the witch would understand, but clearly this witch wasn't going to kill her, yet at least, and she was so tired and disoriented from pain and blood loss, that she had no better ideas. The witch turned, picking up the red case and holding it out to Zoey. Zoey stared at her before taking the kit and opening it, pulling out disinfectant spray and coating her wounds before quickly bandaging her side and leg, which now that she inspected it was a clean through-and-through. She struggled with her arm, however, so the witch took the bandages, having watched Zoey work interestedly. She began to wrap Zoey's arm, actually doing really well, if a little tight. Once that was done, Zoey used an ace wrap that was in the medkit, by some stroke of luck, and wrapped her sprained ankle. Once finished, she stared at the witch.

She was so tired, and she really was about ready to decide to just sleep and let the witch kill her if it decided it wanted to. She looked to the bed nearby and pointed. The witch promptly lifted her, walking over and setting her on it, stepping back and sitting there. Zoey stared at her and felt a little bad about the witch seeming to be awaiting orders. Zoey scooted herself over carefully and patted the bed. The witch cocked her head before crawling onto the bed, sitting on her knees. Zoey carefully took the witch's arm, pulling her down into a laying position, the witch sliding her legs out from under herself, lying on her side and facing Zoey, staring at the girl. Zoey swallowed hard, forcing herself to ignore the impending death that her instincts were screaming about, and closed her eyes, struggling to find sleep. Finally, exhaustion won out over logic and fear.

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	2. Chapter 2

I do not own Left4Dead or any of the characters.

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Partners

Zoey stirred, opening her eyes and screaming, flinging herself out of the bed, crashing to the ground but grabbing her pistol. She spun to fire at the witch that had been in the bed with her, only for the witch to smash the pistol out of her hands, pinning her uninjured arm to her leg with one hand, grabbing the other and holding it up, growling menacingly.

Zoey stared at the bandages, not sure when she had gotten them. Slowly, memories began to return to her from the chaos the day before. Memories of being abandoned, wounded, and saved by a witch, of all things. She remembered bandaging herself, except the arm, which she remembered the witch doing. Still, though, the reason for the witch being in bed with her eluded her.

The witch allowed her to lower her arm and Zoey stared at the witch before remembering her kneeling beside the bed. Finally she remembered and looked away in shame.

"I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...I didn't mean to offend you," Zoey said.

The witch cocked her head to the side before slowly standing, stepping back. Zoey pushed herself into a sitting position, looking at her ankle. She could probably limp on either of her injured legs, if only the other was healed. She sighed. This safe house had no shower, or fridge, or furniture besides the bed and island counter, where ammo was now piled. She would have to move on to another soon, and she really didn't want to know what would happen if the witch got hungry, even if she _had_ saved Zoey.

"We need to move on to the next safe house, but I can't walk," Zoey said. "I'll need you to carry me. I can use my pistol to kill any infected we meet, but I can't get there alone."

The witch stared at her in silence before walking over and kneeling in front of Zoey. Zoey carefully pulled herself onto the witch's back, the witch standing and walking to the unbarricaded safe house door.

"Just a minute, I'll open-"

The witch placed a hand to the door and shoved, breaking it free of its hinges and making it crash to the ground. Zoey's blood ran cold as the realization that they had never really been safe set in. At any moment they had wanted, a witch could have broken into a safe house. She looked down at the witch holding her. Her mind began to conjure images of what the witch could do to her if it wanted. It was pointless to consider. She had seen what a witch could, and would, do. When the infected had first started to mutate she had seen the results of a startled witch. One had ripped her best friend to shreds.

The witch walked out of the safe house and stopped, looking up at Zoey. She told the witch to leave the mall through the back door, and the witch began to walk in that direction. The mall was empty, completely. There was no sign of any infected, anywhere. After a bit, they came to a pile of soda machines blocking the path and the witch easily shoved them aside, continuing on her way. A few minutes later, they were at the back door and the witch shoved it off of its hinges as she had done the safe house door. Zoey pointed in the general direction of the next safe house, which, if memory served, was a hotel. That meant that there would be a shower, two beds, and probably some snacks in the mini-fridge.

As they walked down the street, Zoey noticed the distinct lack of any infected. She smiled. At least she had their fear of witches going for her. As they turned to walk down a back alley, Zoey heard a smoker cough and looked up. No sooner had she done that did a smoker's tongue wrap around her throat, yanking her off of the which and holding her fifteen feet in the air. She grabbed at the tongue, trying to pull it away from her throat, but it simply tightened its grip, threatening to crush her throat. She raised her pistol but the tongue suddenly swung her away from the wall before swinging her back down, slamming her into the building and making her drop the gun. Just as her vision started to gain spots, a hand wrapped around her leg, pulling her down.

Zoey managed a strangled cry as the tongue was pulled even tighter on her throat. Then, her feet touched the ground and the witch extended the claws on her right hand, slashing the tongue off of Zoey and grabbing it, then yanked, pulling the smoker off of the building, slamming him down on the street. It began to stand instantly, only for Zoey to grab her pistol, screaming in rage and ignoring the pain that radiated through her from her throat in response. She aimed at the smoker, squeezing off shot after shot. As soon as that mag was empty, she swapped it for another and continued to fire. After a moment, a bullet severed its tongue, Zoey continuing to fire. Finally, the smoker collapsed, smoke bursting out of it as it did. Zoey dropped her second empty mag and sighed, loading another before kneeling, picking up the two empty mags and sighing, turning to the witch, who cocked her head at Zoey.

"Thanks for saving me, again," Zoey croaked.

She swallowed and winced. Hopefully that would go away soon. The witch turned, kneeling directly in front of Zoey and Zoey leaned forward, falling more than climbing onto the witch's back and the witch stood, arms wrapping around Zoey's legs. Then, the witch continued. Zoey remained silent as they travelled. The witch obviously wasn't one for conversation, given she couldn't speak, and Zoey wasn't sure that she fully understood what she was saying, or more the general idea of what Zoey wanted when she was asking her to do something.

They eventually came to a strip mall and the witch stopped, looking around. There were a few infected around here, but Zoey wasn't sure why the witch had stopped. After a moment, the witch looked up at her, growling slightly. Zoey's eyes widened slightly, her heart beating faster. She really hoped the witch hadn't decided she looked like lunch. After a moment, the witch stopped growling and released Zoey, who promptly fell to the ground unceremoniously, landing on her tailbone. She groaned, rolling to her side and massaging her offended rear end, then looked up at the witch as it shrieked, streaking away from Zoey and tackling an infected, the rest scattering instantly. As Zoey watched, the witch quickly ripped the infected apart, then began to eat the pieces. Zoey felt her stomach roll violently and squeezed her eyes closed, trying to ignore the wet squelching, chewing sounds echoing through the otherwise silent parking lot. Finally, the noises stopped and Zoey opened her eyes, seeing the witch walk back over, blood coating her hands and face, as well as having splattered over her front. The witch stopped, turning for Zoey to climb on.

Zoey hesitated for a moment before climbing on. She sighed. She had to be losing her mind. She was _traveling_ with a _witch_. But, she had no better ideas, and the witch hadn't done anything to actually harm her, at least not intentionally. Plus, the witch had chosen to eat an infected instead of her, so insane or not, Zoey decided her best chance at survival was with the witch. The witch reached the border between city and suburb and stopped, looking up at Zoey. Zoey nodded.

"It should be about another mile that way," Zoey said pointing. "We can stop for a break if you want."

The witch turned back to the front, beginning to walk again. They were heading mostly along the road, though they left it a couple of times as the witch decided to simply ignore a curve int he road, instead walking across the grass or gravel until they met the road again. Once she actually walked _through_ a guardrail, the metal bending against her before breaking like it were wet paper. After about twenty minutes, a roar rang out and Zoey instinctively tightened her arms around the witch, looking around. There was no way the infected would actually attack her with a witch present, right?

The witch began to run, not exceptionally fast, but much faster than she had been walking. Zoey began to grow nervous. If a witch was running from a rush, then it couldn't possibly be normal, right? Infected began to spill out of the buildings around them, swarming out from behind them, scrambling out of manholes, and a couple even managing to squeeze out of chimneys. Zoey shot a couple who got close enough for her to actually hit them, and the witch slashed a handful that got in her way. Then, finally, they rounded a corner and the hotel came into view. It was a Days Inn, nothing fancy, but it was a big one. The witch headed straight for it, the infected swarming behind her. Zoey twisted around, firing back into the horde and dropping a few, tripping others. Then, a charger broke free of the pack, quickly catching up and roaring as it did.

The witch veered sideways, avoiding the much larger infected before heading for the hotel again, Zoey firing at the charger. It turned, charging again, this time on an intercept course, but the witch stopped just shy of it, slashing its abdomen as it passed, its insides spilling out instantly. Then, the witch continued again. As they entered the hotel, however, the witch stopped again. On the ground in front of them was another witch. This one, unlike the one carrying Zoey, didn't have an attractive, normal-human-looking face. Its face was the same deformed, monstrous face that Zoey had thought all witches possessed. It looked up at them, beginning to growl menacingly. Zoey's witch began to growl back, Zoey releasing her and falling to the ground instantly. Suddenly, it was like a switch had been flipped. The two witches both charged, screaming, and began to tear into each other. Zoey watched in a mixture of awe, revulsion, and fear as the witches tore at each other. After several seconds, Zoey's witch was thrown sideways toward Zoey, crashing down before rolling to her hands and feet, snarling, then charging at the other witch again. Zoey scrambled backward as the other witch was tackled by Zoey's, the two rolling on the ground as they tore at each other. Then, the other witch slashed Zoey's across the abdomen particularly badly, not that all of the gashes weren't already deep, and Zoey's witch screamed, falling backward. As she did, the other witch's claw caught her top, ripping it off.

The witch stared at it a moment before shaking it off and lunging. Rage and desperation flooded Zoey and she screamed, the witch stopping and turning to look at her just as Zoey began to unload her pistol into the witch, doing little besides angering it. The witch shrieked in rage, leaping at Zoey. Except, she barely made it a foot before stopping abruptly and crashing back to the ground. Zoey watched as the witch she had been traveling with pinned the other witch to the ground, shrieking, then drove her claws into the other witch's head, killing her. Once she had, she ripped her claws back out and fell to the side, whimpering and beginning to moan weakly. Zoey pushed herself up, wincing but ignoring the pain in her legs as she limped over. She knelt beside the witch, reaching out toward her but the witch flinched, hissing and backing away a little on her hands and feet in a low crouch. Zoey raised her hands in an innocent gesture, staring at the witch. there were numerous deep gashes up and down her arms and on her legs, the gashes in her stomach were almost down to her intestines, and the claw that had removed her top had cut a gash in between the witch's breasts.

"I won't hurt you," Zoey said, holding a hand out to the witch. "I want to help."

The witch stared at her for several moments before reaching out hesitantly. She stopped before her hand had reached Zoey's however, pulling back slightly. Zoey moved her hand to the witch's, turning the witch's hand upward so the palm was facing her, then pressing her own palm against it. The witch stared at her, as though studying the difference between their fingers, as she had done before bandaging Zoey's arm the first night. Then, slowly, the claws began to retract. Once they had, Zoey smiled. She was about to pull her hand away to grab her medkit, but before she could, the witch's hand moved, slowly turning so that their fingers were staggered before her fingers began to slowly curl, slipping in between Zoey's. Zoey stared at their joined hands for several moments before curling her own fingers, giving the witch's hand a gently squeeze for a moment. The witch stared at her before slowly applying pressure. For a moment, Zoey was afraid the witch's monstrous strength would crush her hand, but the witch stopped squeezing not much harder than Zoey had before letting the pressure back off. Zoey smiled, shifting a little closer and slipping her hand out of the witch's, grabbing her medkit and setting the witch's hand in her lap, palm up, noticing, for the first time, that there was also a gash there.

She grabbed a cloth from inside, which she wasn't sure exactly what it was actually for, and used it to clean the blood from the witch's hands and face. Then, she gently placed a small bandage against the wound in the witch's palm before pressing the end of the bandage against it, wrapping it around the witch's hand several times before securing it with some medical tape. Next, she began to wrap that arm, bandages soon covering the forearm and a spot just below the witch's shoulder. The other arm she had to bandage from just above the wrist to just below the shoulder. As she finished that arm, she glanced at the witch, who had been staring at her the entire time she worked. She wasn't sure if witches _could_ heal, but she figured that it was probably better safe than sorry. She pulled out the rest of the bandages and turned back to the witch, gently guiding the witch to open her legs and prop them up a bot so she could bandage the gashes there. A few minutes later, both legs were finished, leaving only the witch's abdomen and the scratch on her chest. This part would take a bit longer, however.

Zoey glanced back at the door. In all the commotion of the witches fighting, she had forgotten about the horde outside. It was still there, standing just outside the door and watching them. However, it seemed they didn't dare come inside, thankfully. Zoey sighed, turning back to the witch and getting the bandages ready.

"I have to touch this one," Zoey said. "It's going to hurt. Please don't get mad."

The witch cocked her head slightly and Zoey leaned forward so that she could reach around behind the witch, passing the end of the bandages to herself before pressing it to the witch's worst gashes. The witch jumped, yelping in pain before swatting Zoey's hand away and hissing. However, this time, Zoey noticed the witch had started bleeding from moving. Quickly, too.

"I have to bandage it!" Zoey said. "It's bleeding! Look!"

She pointed and the witch looked down, staring. Zoey grabbed a handful of bandage pads and grit her teeth, praying she wasn't going to get herself killed, Then, she pressed them to the witch's abdomen, trying to slow the bleeding. The witch all but screamed, claws extending and hand pulling back before stopping. Zoey felt her eyes burn, despite her best efforts. She was terrified she would be killed by the witch, but she knew that if the witch died, the horde would kill her anyway. She quickly brushed her tears away, pressing the end of the bandage to the witch's abdomen. The witch hissed again, flinching, but since Zoey didn't die, she assumed she had been given as much permission as she'd get to tend to the wounds, so she leaned forward again, beginning to wrap the bandages around the witch, making sure they were tight enough to not fall off. Finally, she finished by wrapping the bandages diagonally up between the witch's breasts to cover the scratch before securing the other end of the bandages, marveling that she had had exactly the amount of bandages she had needed.

"There," Zoey said. "I'm finished. We should find the safe house now. I think it's on the top floor."

The witch nodded, standing, but her legs gave out and she began to fall. Zoey caught her, sucking in her breath to keep from shouting in pain as her ankle and bullet wound both flared. The witch made a sound that Zoey could almost swear was a whimper, and Zoey took one of her arms over her shoulders, helping her walk. Before they had gone more than four feet, however, Zoey stopped as she found a pipe bomb on the receptionist desk. She picked it up and lit the fuse with her lighter.

"This is loud," Zoey warned, hurling the pipe out the door before covering the witch's ears.

She screwed her face up, bracing herself to take the full brunt of the explosion's sound, and when it went off, sure enough, pain stabbed through her head from her ears. She released the witch's ears, her own ringing, and took the witch's arm over her shoulders again, heading to the elevators and pressing a button. Nothing.

"Of course," Zoey grumbled, sighing. "We have to take the stairs."

She pushed the door open, looking through, then helped the witch through, turning and starting up the stairs. Progress was agonizingly slow. Not only because of her own injuries, but the witch was clearly exhausted, and was moving just as slow as Zoey. Finally, they reached the fourth floor, after what had to have been nearly thirty minutes. Zoey opened the door to that floor and walked through with the witch, looking around. On the wall to the right, way down at the end of the hallway, someone had spray painted the safe house symbol and an arrow pointing left. Zoey headed in that direction, feeling the witch's weight settle on her shoulder more and more as they walked, her own legs trembling. As they turned the corner, they found the door to the safe house, and the hunter investigating it. Zoey drew her pistol, the hunter turning just as she fired, sending a handful of bullets into it and killing it before it could attack them. She sighed, limping into the safe house with the witch, making her way to the bed before gently setting her down and returning to the door, managing to get it closed and sliding the bar into place.

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	3. Chapter 3

I do not own Left4Dead or any of the characters.

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Teaching

Zoey limped into the safe house with the witch, making her way to the bed before gently setting her down and returning to the door, managing to get it closed and sliding the bar into place. As she did, she felt the witch watching her, and her own thoughts continuously swirled through her head. She had protected a witch. It sounded like gibberish, even in her own mind. She had protected a witch. She had protected a witch. Sure, in a roundabout way, she had been protecting herself, but still. She had protected a _witch_. Not only did it sound as insane as it was because the witch was an infected, but she was also a _witch_ , the most deadly and most likely to kill her. Witches weren't supposed to need protecting, and humans certainly weren't supposed to do it. Witches hunted humans.

Zoey grunted in effort, pushing the full-sized refrigerator in front of the door, followed by the TV's stand, the coffee table, and the recliner. With that finally done, albeit sloppily, Zoey collapsed onto her bed, groaning. Her ankle hurt, her bullet wound hurt, and her head was killing her from the explosion. After several minutes, she pushed herself back up, limping over to the fridge, which she had made sure to keep unblocked enough to be able to open, and pulled it open, staring at the contents. Chocolate cake, soda, liquor, chips. She pulled out a slice of cake for each of them and a bottle of Jack Daniels. She found shot glasses in the medicine cabinet, for some reason, and brought them out to the main room, sitting on her bed again and pouring herself a shot, draining it and waiting for her headache to dull.

"So, I don't know if you can actually eat cake, or drink liquor, but it's the best we can do right now," Zoey said. "And if you _can_ drink alcohol, it should help with the pain a little."

The witch watched her in silence as Zoey poured her a shot, offering it to her. The witch took the glass and sniffed it, her nose wrinkling up as she pulled back. Zoey actually giggled at that. The witch looked up at her curiously and Zoey poured herself a shot.

"You don't have to drink it if you don't want to," Zoey said. "Like I said, I don't even know if you _can_. If you don't want it, I'll drink it for you."

Zoey drained her glass again and the witch watched her before bringing her own glass to her lips and taking a sip, again recoiling and grimacing, Zoey again giggling. Maybe it was the alcohol, but if she stopped and thought about it, she was kind of enjoying having this witch around. And not just because the witch kept all of the other infected away. Okay, maybe a little because of that. But still.

She watched at the witch stared at her then swallowed all of her drink in one cough, grimacing again. After several seconds of the witch not going berserk or choking to death, she held out her glass for more. Zoey smiled, pouring her a second shot and the witch drained it almost instantly, holding out the glass again. Zoey smiled, pouring herself a shot, then the witch. Then, both drained it. When the witch asked for another glass, Zoey shook her head.

"Easy," Zoey said. "We still don't know that it won't have any effects on you. Let's give it a little bit."

She set the bottle on the floor and the witch set down her glass, looking to the cake and cocking her head to the side. She extended a claw, stabbing the cake before pulling her claw back out and licking it. She blinked slowly, staring at the cake, then stuck her claw in it again, picking up the cake this time and taking a bite out of it, smearing the chocolate over her face and nose, making Zoey laugh, covering her mouth to keep from losing her own bite of cake. The witch stared at her for a moment before taking another large bite, the rest of the cake breaking apart and falling onto the bed, most of it actually managing to hit the plate. Zoey set her plate down, picking up one of the pillows and pulling the pillow case off, standing and walking over to the witch's bed, sitting beside her and taking her hand, wiping her claw off carefully before wiping the chocolate off of her face as well, the witch staring at her while she worked. Zoey glanced up at the witch's eyes as stopped, staring. Now that she was close to the witch, she noticed that the witch's eyes seemed to be closer to pink than she initially thought. They were oddly captivating, and Zoey found herself having trouble looking away.

Finally, she forced her eyes back down to where there had been chocolate on the witch's face, finding that her face was clean, and that she had been more or less stroking the witch's lips through the pillow case for however long she had been staring into the witch's eyes. She lowered her hand, turning away and struggling to get herself under control. Now that she wasn't distracted by trying to decide exactly what shade the witch's eyes were, she noticed her heart was beating faster than it should, and her breathing was heavier than she remembered. She decided it was the alcohol, and that she was still tired from helping the witch up the stairs. That had to be it. After all, the alternative was...impossible.

After another second, she felt the witch's hand on her shoulder and jumped slightly, not much but enough for the witch to yank her hand back. Zoey sighed, turning back to her.

"Sorry," Zoey said. "You startled me."

The witch held out a hand with a ball of cake in it, as though making a peace offering and Zoey smiled, guiding the witch's hand back to the plate and making her set the cake down. Then, she held her hand out, the witch setting her own in it. Zoey took hold of the witch's index finger and the witch extended the claw, seeming to understand a little of what Zoey was trying to do. Zoey guided the witch's hand, helping her cut off a piece, again marveling at how unnaturally sharp the witch's claws were, the cake not even squishing a little, like it would with a normal knife, no matter how sharp. Once the piece had been cut off, Zoey stabbed it with the witch's claw and let go of her hand. The witch raised the claw to look at it before sticking the piece in her mouth and pulling it off of her claw. She carefully tried to repeat the process on her own, cutting off a bit larger of a chunk than Zoey had. She stabbed it with her claw and offered her to Zoey.

"That's okay," Zoey said. "I have my own cake."

The witch made a whimpering sound, moving it a little closer to Zoey. Zoey sighed. She really didn't want to make this witch mad. Besides, she was just trying to share her cake. Nothing sinister. She hoped. Zoey took ahold of the witch's hand to hold it steady, not that she could actually stop the witch from doing anything if she tried, like stabbing her through the back of the throat. Zoey took a breath, steeling her nerves, and then leaned forward, very carefully wrapping her lips around the chunk of cake and pulling it off of the claw, careful not to cut her lips or cheek on the claw. Once she had taken the cake off, the witch liked the chocolate that was left on her claw off and watched Zoey while Zoey ate the cake, smiling.

"Thank you," Zoey smiled. "It was delicious."

The witch cocked her head to the side for a moment before the corners of her lips twitched upward the tiniest fraction. Zoey blinked. She had to have imagined that. Witches didn't smile. Right? Then again, they also didn't protect humans, drink jack, or eat cake, so maybe. Zoey picked her own cake up, using a fork to cut off a piece and raising it to her mouth before stopping, glancing at the witch, who was struggling to get another reasonably sized piece cut off. Zoey sighed, shaking her head slightly. She had to be going insane. She held out the slice of cake and the witch looked at it, then at her, before accepting it, pulling it off the fork with her lips.

Here, Zoey began to wonder just how drunk she had gotten. As she watched the witch's lips wrap around the cake to pull it off, she found herself unable to look away, and found her heart and breathing both begin to quicken again. And somewhere in the back of her mind, she heard a thought wonder about whether the witch's lips were as soft as they looked, and about how good the tiny piece of chocolate frosting stuck to the corner of the witch's mouth would taste. As soon as the witch had pulled the cake off of the fork, Zoey quickly forced her vision back to her food, hurriedly shoving a piece into her mouth, hoping to try to counteract the alcohol that was messing with her thoughts.

After a few seconds, she glanced over at the witch, seeing she was starting to get the hang of cutting pieces off of the cake. Zoey ate another piece of her cake and watched as the witch ate one of her own. Again Zoey had to fight to pull her eyes away from the witch's lips. Zoey sighed, shaking her head and quickly finishing her cake. Once she was done, she walked to the bathroom and smiled. It was one of those hotels that left toothbrushes in the bathroom. And toothpaste. Only a small one, just like the soap, but it was plenty for Zoey. Zoey glanced at the witch. She could already imagine the witch thinking the toothpaste was food and drinking it from the tube, or off of the toothbrush while Zoey was trying to show her how to brush her teeth. The thought made her smile, but it faltered after a moment and she groaned, turning on the cold water and splashing some on her face. She _really_ needed to sober up. Here she was in a room with a deadly monster, and she was actually _enjoying_ herself. What's more, the alcohol was making her feel _attracted_ to the monster.

Zoey felt nauseous at the thought and sighed. She shook her head, squeezing some toothpaste onto one of the four toothbrushes and wetting it, beginning to brush her teeth. After a moment, the witch walked over to investigate the sound and stood in the doorway, watching with her head tilted to the side like she did every time Zoey did something that caught her attention, which had been almost everything since they got to the room, Zoey had noticed. Once zoey was done, she spat the toothpaste into the sink, rinsing off the toothbrush before cupping her hands to catch water, swishing the remaining toothpaste in her mouth for a moment with the water before spitting it out and glancing to the witch.

"Do you want to try?" Zoey asked.

The witch stared at her before reaching up and feeling her own teeth. Zoey actually found herself kind of curious. She had never actually seen a witch's teeth before, probably for the better, and wondered what they looked like. Or if she even had any left. She gently reached over, the witch watching her as Zoey pulled the witch's hand out of the way, then gently cupped the sides of her face, using her thumbs to lift her upper lip, seeing human teeth. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting, though given the rest of the witches, a set of shark teeth probably wouldn't have surprised her. She let the witch close her lips, but before she let go of the witch's face, she couldn't help but brush her thumb over her lips, amazed by how soft they were. She brushed her thumb over them again before catching herself and taking her hands back, turning back to the sink and opening another toothbrush. She put toothpaste onto the bristles, and, sure enough, the witch stuck it in her mouth, licked the toothpaste off, and swallowed it, holding the toothbrush out to ask for more.

Zoey couldn't help laughing, shaking her head. "It's not food. Here, like this."

She put more on and ran some water over it before setting the toothbrush in the witch's hand, wrapping her own around it and raising it to the witch's mouth. The witch opened her mouth and stuck her tongue out so Zoey shook her head again.

"It's for your teeth," Zoey said, pointing to her own teeth in the mirror with her free hand.

The witch watched her a moment before retracting her tongue and copying the way Zoey made all of her teeth flush with one another and pulled her lips out of the way. Zoey smiled and placed the toothbrush against them, reaching up and lightly pulling on the witch's lips, getting her to close them around the head of the toothbrush. Then, she began to move the toothbrush for the witch, showing her how to do it. The witch caught on fairly quickly, Zoey letting go and letting the witch brush her own teeth. After a couple minutes, Zoey realized that she was only brushing the outside. She smiled. She was kind of like a child. A very deadly, inhuman, undead, attractive, half-naked child.

Zoey caught the witch's hand and said, "Open."

The witch complied and Zoey showed her how to get the tops and backs of her teeth as well. After a couple of minutes, the witch again was doing it on her own, doing fairly well at it. Then, finally, Zoey smiled, reaching up and taking the toothbrush.

"That's enough," Zoey smiled. "It only takes a few minutes at most. Just until they're clean."

The witch stared at her, then looked down at the sink as Zoey reached down and turned it on, rinsing the toothbrush from where she was standing behind the witch. It occurred to Zoey that, even without realizing or meaning to, she had been pressing herself into the witch, subconsciously trying to maintain as much physical contact as possible. She blinked, stepping away as she put the toothbrush back into the cup with the others.

"Okay, you can spit it out now," Zoey said.

The witch looked up at her in the mirror and opened her mouth. The toothpaste was gone. Zoey stared at her before snorting, beginning to laugh. As she did, her eyes began to water and she wiped them, looking at the witch's reflection, seeing a definite smile, though still small, this time. She managed to stop laughing, staring at the witch. She had a really pretty smile.

She shook her head. That was the last straw. She needed to sleep off the alcohol before she completely lost her mind. She turned to the bathroom, at this point not really caring if the witch was there, and pulled her pants down, sitting on the toilet and peeing, then wiped and stood, flushing. She slipped past the witch quickly, not daring to look at her, lest she have another insanity episode and found something else about the witch that made her want to do anything except escape from her. Once out of the bathroom, Zoey quickly stripped out of her pants and climbed under the covers in her bra and panties. After a moment, she realized she could hear running water. A moment later, she heard toilet paper ripping and the toilet flush. She rolled over, staring at the door to the bathroom as the witch walked out of it, looking around the room as though looking for something, like a snack.

"Did you just...use the bathroom?" Zoey asked.

The witch looked over at her, cocking her head to the side. Zoey stared at her, shaking her head slowly. She had decided that being around this witch was probably going to forever take the title of weirdest experience in history. She rolled back over, pulling the blankets back up to her neck. After a couple of seconds, she felt a weight settle on the bed and looked back, seeing the witch lifting the covers up to climb in.

"What are you doing?" Zoey asked, voice a bit more harsh than she had meant it to be. "You have your own bed this time. Sleep over there!"

The witch stared at her before standing and walking over to the other bed, climbing in and lying facing away from Zoey. Zoey stared at her. She could swear that the witch was acting hurt. She lay down facing away from it. She didn't care. It was a witch. Why should she care if she hurt its feelings. After a moment, she rolled over again, watching the witch. She was curled up into the fetal position, now. Zoey rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling. She had to be insane. She should roll over and go to sleep. That was the _normal_ thing to do. Actually, the _normal_ thing, would be to kill the witch in her sleep. Or to run. Anything but what Zoey was considering, really.

Finally, Zoey sighed, pulling her covers back and getting up, limping over to the witch's bed and climbing in behind her, wrapping her arms around the witch, who jerked and looked back, staring at her. Zoey rested her forehead against the witch's back, between her shoulders, and curled her body around the witch's.

"I'm sorry," Zoey said. "I didn't mean to yell."

After a moment, one of the witch's hands rested on top of Zoey's over the witch's abdomen. The witch turned her head back to the front and Zoey sighed in relief that she hadn't been torn to shreds, pulling herself a little tighter against the witch. Then, she drifted off to sleep with a deadly, inhuman monster in her arms.

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	4. Chapter 4

I do not own Left4Dead or any of the characters.

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Cleaning Up

Zoey's eyes opened slowly. She blinked, staring at the mop of hair in front of her. It was muddy, caked in dried blood, and attached to a pale female body covered in red-stained bandages. She sat up instantly as she realized she was cuddling with the witch. Instantly, her head began to throb and she looked around. She stared at the plate she had had cake on yesterday and began to remember what had happened. She sighed. She wasn't going to be drinking for a while. Not only did she have a headache from only a few drinks after having gone the entire apocalypse without, but she had also been attracted to a _witch_ last night. She sighed, looking back to the witch, still soundly asleep, her chest slowly rising and falling.

Zoey gently and carefully guided her to lay on her back, then began to unwrap the bandages from her arms to change them, only to stop. The witch's arms were both healed, fully. She looked up at the witch, just as the witch's eyes slowly slid open, the witch yawning and stretching her arms over her head. For a moment, Zoey could have believed that she was human. A very pale, very dirty human, but a human none the less. Then, the witch reopened those captivating red eyes and Zoey couldn't help but stare. The witch stared back, cocking her head slightly after a moment, before looking down at her arms. She reached down to the bandages on her stomach and pulled, ripping them off of herself with ease. Once again, she was fully healed, though, this time there were scars. Four jagged scars reaching sideways across the witch's stomach. Zoey stared at them, her right hand reaching out and gently brushing its thumb over them.

"You were defending me, weren't you?" Zoey asked, looking up at the witch, who stared back at her, though Zoey could somehow tell the witch wanted to say she was right. "Why? Why are you protecting me? Why are you so different from the other witches we've met?"

The witch's brow furrowed, whether in confusion or to say she didn't know, the meaning was the same. Zoey sighed, eyes falling back to the witch's scars, then the rest of her body. She was still topless, and her panties were long past disgustingly dirty. They were practically black from a mixture of dirt, blood, and God knew what else. There was still blood over her front from feeding on the infected the other day, but most of that had been taken off by the bandages. Zoey looked up to the witch's face, finding that she was still watching her, and that there was some emotion in her beautiful red eyes. Zoey blinked, replaying the thought that had just run through her mind. It was official. She was insane. She sighed, standing beside the bed.

"I'm going to take a shower," Zoey said. "You should too."

She limped over to a dresser against the back wall, noticing that her ankle wasn't in pain anymore. Just the bullet wound. She was jealous of the witch's ability to heal overnight. She opened the top drawer. Panties. Half thongs, half basically bikini bottoms. She opened the middle draw. Bras. All skimpy. She opened the bottom. Socks. She took out a fresh pair on non-thong underwear, a bra, thankfully her size, and a pair of socks. Then, she grabbed her pants and walked into the bathroom, stripping and getting into the shower. She cleaned her hair several times, getting the grease, blood, and dirt out of it from days without a shower. Then, she cleaned the rest of her body equally thoroughly. She found that there were even razors in the shower, so, in a spur of the moment decision to do something that she hadn't bothered with since the infected first began, she even went so far as to shave. Finally, she shut the water off, opening the curtain and shouting in surprise, instinctively yanking the curtain back in front of herself. The witch was standing in the doorway, waiting for her to finish while eating some cake. After her initial surprise, Zoey sighed, getting out and grabbing one of the folded towels on the side and quickly drying herself before pulling on the bra and panties she had gotten from the drawers.

"You want a shower?" Zoey asked.

The witch tilted her head to the side before holding out a piece of cake on her claw. Zoey smiled, walking forward and accepting the cake, as she had the night before.

"Thank you," Zoey smiled. "Come on. You should take a shower. You're filthy." She took the cake from the witch, setting it on the counter beside the sink before pulling the witch into the bathroom. "Take off your panties and turn the water on to a temperature you like."

The witch ripped her panties off easily and held them out, Zoey taking them and tossing them into the garbage. As she did, the witch turned to the shower, staring. Zoey smiled, reaching past her and turning the water on to where she had had it. Shockingly, the hotel still had warm water. The witch stepped into the water and simply stood there, staring at Zoey. Suddenly, Zoey felt very foolish. There was no way the witch would know how to shower. She was a witch. Zoey took her bra and panties back off, stepping back into the shower, keeping the witch between herself and the water so that the witch could get clean. Zoey picked up the soap and lifted one of the witch's hands, setting the soap in it and bringing the witch's other hand to it, rubbing them together until the soap had covered the witch's hands. Zoe took the soap bar back, spreading some onto her own hands as well before putting the soap bar back.

"Wipe it onto your body, anywhere you can reach," Zoey said. "Don't eat it or put it in your eyes."

The witch cocked her head.

"It'll hurt and it's gross," Zoey explained.

The witch's head straightened and she looked down, beginning to spread the soap on her body, Zoey watching and waiting for her to finish with everything she could get. After a few minutes, the witch looked up at her expectantly, having spread soap over the front of her torso, her neck, her arms, and the front and sides of her upper legs. Zoey sighed. It was better than she had expected. Zoey knelt, spreading soap over the witch's shins and calves, then lifted her feet one at a time, cleaning them. They were calloused from walking around barefoot, but softer than Zoey had expected. Once she had finished that, she stood, sighing.

"Turn around," Zoey said. "The water will wash the soap off and I'll wash your back for you."

The witch turned around obediently and Zoey moved the witch's hair over her right shoulder, grabbing the soap bar and reapplying it to his hands before putting the soap bar down. Zoey began to spread soap over the back of the witch's shoulders, surprised by how smooth the witch's skin was. She brushed her forearm over the witch's skin where there was no soap to make sure she wasn't confusing the soap for soft skin, but she wasn't. She shook her head, focusing on her task, spreading the soap lower over the witch's back, making sure to scrub the grime off of the witch's skin, which turned even more pale as she did. Finally, she finished with the witch's back and knelt, getting the backs of the witch's legs. This time, however, she was able to foresee what her insanity might try to focus on, and actively ignored it. At least, while she could. Once she had finished with the witch's legs, she took a deep breath, sighing, and moved up to her rear, which the witch had neglected to clean herself. Zoey was sure she _could_ clean it, but really, what difference did it make. She was already showering a _witch_ , because she was dirty, traveling and living with said witch, and teaching her how to behave somewhat like a human again.

Of course, there were other reasons why Zoey willingly scrubbed the grime from the witch's rear personally as well, though she ignored these, telling herself again and again that it didn't matter and didn't mean anything. It was just faster this way. Once she had finished with the flesh of the witch's ass cheeks, she spread them, cleaning between them as well, looking up to see the witch staring down at her curiously as she did. Suddenly, Zoey felt dirty herself. She stood, stepping away from the witch, who cocked her head, turning toward her.

"You do it," Zoey said, holding out the soap bar.

The witch accepted the soap, spreading it onto her hands before turning so her ass wasn't in the water again, putting it toward Zoey as a result. Then, as she began to clean it, Zoey felt her eyes struggling to watch. She resisted the urge, staring at the sink instead, since there was no shower curtain. After several minutes, she looked back at the witch, who was facing her, waiting for her next command.

"You have to do your hair next," Zoey said, picking up a bottle of shampoo and staring at the witch's hair. "Actually, I'd better do this, or else you'll never be able to get it all out. Turn away from me and tip your head back."

The witch complied. Zoey squirted some shampoo into her hand, then rubbed her hands together for a moment before beginning to scrub the witch's hair. Sure enough, the witch's hair was horrendously tangled in seconds. Zoey shook her head, continuing to scrub shampoo into it, squirting more directly into her hair after a few seconds. Then, she slipped around in front of the witch, standing behind the water. She motioned for the witch to turn around and the witch did so, stepping back so that her hair was under the water. Zoey began to scrub her hair and blood and grime began to run down the witch's back. After several minutes, Zoey again added more shampoo, then again a few minutes after that. Finally, the witch's platinum blonde hair was clean, and every bit as pale as her skin. Zoey added conditioner, scrubbing it into her hair and scalp before allowing the witch to rinse it out. Once she had, Zoey shut the water off, stepping out of the tub and toweling off, pulling her panties and bra back on. She handed a dry towel to the witch, who copied Zoey, drying herself off quickly.

Once she was finished, Zoey walked out into the room, tossing her jeans and socks onto the bed, deciding to leave them off for a bit. It was still early in the morning, and the witch didn't seem to be getting hungry. Besides that, Zoey was starting to warm up to the idea that the witch didn't pose an immediate threat to her. She walked over to the dresser again, pulling out a white bikini bottom and a white bra for the witch, wishing the last people to be in the room had left something other than underwear. Not that the witch would care. She always wore nothing but underwear.

Just as Zoey turned away from the dresser, the witch's arms wrapped around her tightly. Zoey tensed, holding her breath and waiting to be crushed, only to realize the witch was hugging her. She blinked, staring at her before wrapping her arms around the witch as well, resting her chin on the witch's shoulder. After a moment, the witch pulled back, smiling, for real this time, not just a small one. Zoey smiled as well.

"Thank you," Zoey said. "I don't know why, but you've done nothing but protect me since you saved my life from the tank. I don't know how to repay you."

The witch simply smiled, then looked down at the underwear in Zoey's hands. Zoey held it out and the witch cocked her head to the side, a curious look replacing the smile. Zoe smiled, draping the panties over her shoulder and holding the bra up. The witch raised her arms and Zoey slid the bra up her arms. She stepped forward, reaching around behind the witch and clipping it before adjusting it on the witch's chest so it was sitting right. Then, she knelt with the panties, the witch stepping into them. Zoey pulled the panties up into place and smiled, looking up at the witch, who also smiled. Zoey's smile faded slightly.

She was beautiful. Her eyes, her smile, her smooth, soft skin, her platinum blonde hair. She was so beautiful. It was getting harder for Zoey to think of her as the destructive, deadly, inhuman monster she really was. Zoey's smile fell as that thought occurred to her. The only ally she had was a monster, who was as likely to kill her as anything else. Except, Zoey knew that wasn't true. If the witch was going to kill her, she would have done it by now. And clearly it was intelligent, unlike the rest of the infected. And she had done nothing but protect Zoey and try to learn from her. To try to learn to be more human again. A thought occurred to Zoey. What if this witch really _was_ becoming more human? What if this witch was somehow beating the infection?

If that was true, the witch absolutely _had_ to be protected. She could be the key to saving the world. Or, she could be an anomaly, and the only friend Zoey had left. After all, this was the first safe house after the one at which the Bill and the others had abandoned her and there was no sign that anyone else had been there. Zoey sat down heavily on the bed as what that would mean registered. They were gone. All three of the others had been killed. They had to have. If not, then they were lost, because they obviously hadn't made it to that safe house.

Zoey looked up as the witch sat beside her, lifting her hand and placing her own palm against Zoey's, their fingers extended along each other's. Zoey smiled slightly. Even now, an infected was trying to help. She slipped her fingers between the witch's, giving her hand a light squeeze and leaning on the witch's shoulder. She smiled, in spite of herself.

"If they knew about you, they'd probably all think they were going insane," Zoey smiled. "I sure did, at first."

The witch squeezed her hand gently and Zoey smiled. After a few more minutes, Zoey sighed, slipping her hand out of the witch's and standing, grabbing her pants and the clean socks and finishing getting dressed. She slipped her shoes on and grabbed her pistol, looking tot he witch, who was standing at the foot of the bed, waiting patiently.

"I think I can walk today," Zoey said. "For a little while, at least. It's a few miles to the next safe house. And this one's in a sewer."

The witch cocked her head at her and Zoey smiled, shaking her head.

"We'll be alright," Zoey smiled. "We just need to avoid any other witches this time."

The witch nodded and walked over to the barricade, easily moving everything out of the way, grabbing two bottles of coke out of the fridge as she did. She opened one, sniffing it and cocking her head as Zoey took the other and drank some, smiling.

"It's alright," Zoey smiled. "It's not like the jack from last night."

The witch took a sip, then took an large swig. The two of them walked out of the room and headed down the hallway toward the stairs. They made their way down slowly, Zoey trying to avoid agitating her bullet wound. Then, they left the building, the witch following Zoey. As they walked, a smoker and two normal infected were foolish enough to attack, but the witch killed the smoker and Zoey the infected. Zoey absolutely loved the fact that the witch's presence kept the other infected away. They still didn't converse much, however, since the witch couldn't speak.

After about two miles, further than she thought she'd get, Zoey had to stop walking for a break, her bullet wound quickly becoming debilitatingly painful. The witch picked her up in a piggy back again and Zoey wrapped her arms around the witch's neck, resting her chin on the witch's shoulder as she walked.

"So, do you remember how to talk, and you're just totally messing with me with this silent treatment?" Zoey asked after a while of silence.

The witch looked over at her, then back to the front, Zoey sighing.

"I figured," Zoey said. "Still, I'm really glad you're here. And not just because you saved me and protect me from the infected. I like being around you. You're so...innocent. Which is kind of ironic, all things considered."

The witch smiled, continuing to walk. After a ways, they reached a small gun shop and Zoey had the witch walk in. Zoey got herself a new AK and a few mags filled with ammo, then restocked her pistol ammo as well. She saw the witch staring at an M16 curiously.

"You want one?" Zoey asked. "With your claws, I doubt you need it, but you can have it if you want."

The witch picked it up, turning it over and over, trying to figure out how to work it, and Zoey giggled. She took it, showing her how to rack a round, and where the trigger and mg release were. However, instead, the witch took the rifle back and extended her claws, beginning to cut it. Zoey watched in confusion as the witch worked. Then, finally, she began to use her claws to form a blade on one side of the new weapon. It was a sword, sort of. The witch had crushed everything after the front sight post flat and then cut it into a rough sword blade. She held it out to Zoey, who accepted it, smiling.

"This is amazing," Zoey smiled. "Thank you."

The witch smiled at the compliment and turned, kneeling and allowing Zoey to climb back on, the witch leaving the weapon's shop and heading back toward the safe house.

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	5. Chapter 5

I do not own Left4Dead or any of the characters.

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Sewage

The witch looked around curiously as she walked into the sewage plant. There were vats of sewage taking up the middle of the floor below the catwalk they were on, and a tunnel on the far side ground floor leading down into the sewer. The witch walked along the catwalk, reaching a door into a back room where a set of stairs led down to the ground floor. She walked down them and to the tunnel leading into the sewer then stopped, sniffing. Zoey looked down at her worriedly.

"What is it?" Zoey asked. "Is there something there? Or do you just think it stinks?"

The witch growled lowly, the sound echoing through the tunnel. Then, after a moment, another growl echoed back.

"Witch," Zoey breathed. "Can we avoid it?"

The witch looked up at her then started down the tunnel. Zoey really hoped they could avoid it. The last safe house hadn't had any medkits. They both kept completely silent as they travelled, looking around carefully for the witch. Zoey turned her flashlight on so that she could see, and swept it around them as they walked. She caught a glimpse of infected once or twice, but they were always fleeing from the witch carrying Zoey. Zoey shone the light ahead and found a door. The witch walked over to it and Zoey pulled it open, allowing the witch to walk through. On the other side, the lights were already on. Zoey switched off her flashlight and looked around. To the right was a bathroom. To the left, a stairway with the safe house symbol at the bottom, an arrow pointing up the stairs. The witch headed in that direction and climbed the stairs, stopping as they reached the top. Ahead of them, Bill, Francis, and Louis were standing against a wall, remaining silent as Bill peeked out through the doorway.

"Guys?" Zoey asked. "What are you doing?"

"Zoey hush, there's a witch!" Louis hissed before all three froze, slowly turning to look at her.

"Zoey!" all three gasped, voices still low as they ran over, hugging her, Zoey's witch setting her down and stepping out of the way.

After several minutes of them apologizing for leaving her behind and telling her how happy they were that she was alive, Zoey finally managed to get out of their circle, limping over to the witch and leaning on her for support, having noticed the witch looked a but uneasy.

"Who's your friend?" Francis asked, eyes roving the witch's body hungrily, completely unaware of what he was actually looking at, and completely uncaring that he wasn't even trying to hide the fact that he was checking her out, then turned to look at Zoey, who was still in only a bra and pants. "And where's your sweatshirt?"

The witch stepped behind Zoey slightly, seeming to be hiding from the three, or maybe just from Francis, and wrapped her arms around Zoey's waist, holding her.

"She's the one that saved me," Zoey said. "She doesn't talk, so I don't know her name. And there was never really a reason to give her one while it was just the two of us."

Bill cocked his head to the side, staring at the witch before raising his M16 a bit. "Zoey, get the hell away from it."

"No," Zoey said.

"What are you talking about Bill?" Louis asked. "This girl saved her."

"It's not a girl," Bill growled. "Look at its eyes."

Both of the others did and Louis gasped while Francis swore.

"I fucking hate witches!" Francis said, the witch growling and glaring at him.

"She's not too fond of you either," Zoey said, resting her hands on the witch's, the witch calming and ducking behind Zoey again. "She's my friend. She saved my life when you all abandoned me and has done nothing but protect me since. Besides that, she's not a normal witch. She's more human than the others. She might be the key to a cure."

"That, or she's an unholy, inhuman monster who's going to tear us apart at the first chance," Francis said, the witch again growling angrily, though remaining behind Zoey this time.

"Zoey, it's not human, it's a witch," Bill said. "It eats people. It's probably killed dozens of people before you found it. Now either it dies, or we do."

"Then you'll have to shoot me, too," Zoey said. "This witch is different. She's protected me, and she's my friend. I won't let you kill her, so if you want to shoot her, you'll have to shoot me first."

Francis and Louis both looked over at Bill, who was watching Zoey carefully.

"Okay," Bill said. "We won't kill it."

"Her," Zoey corrected.

"Her," Bill said through gritted teeth. "But it...she...stays here. We're not bringing a witch into our safe house. That's suicide."

"Worked out pretty well for me," Zoey said. "She's coming with us. Besides, even if you did lock her out and barricade the door, she'd just break it down."

"Excuse me?" Bill asked.

"You heard me," Zoey said.

"Are you trying to tell us that this filthy, inhuman, disgusting, evil..." Francis trailed off as the witch poked her head out, glaring at him and growling loudly, "...monster," Francis continued, glaring right back, "can break down safe house doors?"

"One-handed," Zoey nodded.

The other three looked at each other, then back at Zoey and the witch.

"You three can either accept it or not, I don't care," Zoey said. "But she and I are going into that safe house together. Whether you join us or not is up to you."

She limped past them, the witch following, keeping her arms around Zoey and watching the three warily. Once they were out the door, they stopped, looking around at the infected in the room. There were about twenty, including the other witch, right in front of the safe house door. The infected turned, watching them as they stood there, taking in their surroundings. Finally, Zoey pulled the AK off of her back, shouldering it.

"Are you ready?"

The witch extended her claws, growling, the other witch slowly standing. Then, before she was all the way up, Zoey sighted in on her and began to fire. The witch shrieked, the other infected charging, only for Zoey's witch to slaughter them as they got within reach. Zoey could feel the other survivors watching them, but ignored it. As soon as her magazine was empty, she dropped it, holding the AK under her left arm and reloading with that hand while firing her pistol at the oncoming witch. Then, she finished reloading the AK, dropping her pistol and beginning to fire the rifle again. As the witch reached them, it slashed the barrel of the AK, shredding it before Zoey's witch tackled the other one. Zoey grabbed her sword instantly and sprinted forward. Just as she reached the two witches, the one that had been traveling with her was thrown off. Zoey was ready, however, and swung her sword downward, planting it in the other witch's head. She leapt backward as the witch began to stand, reaching its knees before letting out an odd gurgling growl, then fell to the side, dead.

Zoey sighed, sitting down hard, her witch crawling over, a worried expression on her face as she examined Zoey, looking for injuries. Zoey smiled, cupping her face and making her look up into her face. "I'm alright. I'm not hurt."

The witch smiled and nodded, looking down at the blood that was covering her and her underwear again. Zoey smiled, standing and leaning on the witch's shoulder. The witch wrapped an arm around her waist, helping her support her weight, and headed to the safe house with her. The others stared after them before turning to Bill. Bill sighed.

"Well we can't stay here," Bill said. "And if Zoey's right, that witch really _will_ come in handy."

"I fucking hate witches," Francis grumbled, following after the others, picking up Zoey's pistol on the way.

Once they were all inside, the witch, turned, heading back out and picking up an infected, using her arms to remove the infected's head and limbs, turning back toward the safe house with the torso. Just as she did, however, Bill slammed the door closed.

Zoey grabbed her pistol instantly, slamming Bill up against a wall and putting the pistol against his forehead. "Open the door. Now."

"I'm not letting that fucking monster back in here," Bill said.

Zoey pulled the hammer back. "Open. The. Door. I won't ask again, Bill."

Bill stared at her for several seconds before pulling the bar out of the way and pulling the door open. Zoey stepped into the doorway instantly, just in time for her witch to throw her arms around her. Zoey held the witch for several seconds before the witch picked up the torso she had dropped beside the door and walked into the room, watching the three males suspiciously. This safe house was far from a hotel room. There was a metal table off to one side with ammo piled on it, along with an AK, a shotgun, and a pair of Colt M1911s, there was a winding staircase leading down a level, and there was a medical cabinet against the wall with one medkit in it, which was instantly claimed by Zoey's witch. Zoey limped over to her and the witch held the medkit out to her.

"Are you hurt?" Zoey asked, taking it.

The witch turned, exposing a single, relatively small scratch on her side. It was good that that was all, considering how the last fight against another witch had gone. Zoey opened the medkit and pulled out some bandages and a cleaning pad, using the pad to clean the blood where she was going to wrap the bandages before handing the pad to the witch, who began to clean herself while Zoey began to bandage her scratch.

"What a waste of good bandages," Francis grumbled.

The witch hissed at him.

"I would just like to point out to you that you're antagonizing a witch that hasn't eaten yet today," Zoey said.

The witch glanced down at her before looking back up at Francis and licking her lips. Zoey glanced back, seeing Francis stepping behind Bill and laughed, actually having to stop bandaging the witch for a moment while she did.

"When did you learn to do that?" Zoey asked.

The witch cocked her head to the side, staring at her and Zoey smiled, returning to bandaging the witch's side.

"Isn't cleaning that...witch...a waste of time, since she's about to eat?" Bill asked.

Zoey shrugged. "She likes being clean. Would _you_ like being covered in blood and dirt all the time?"

Bill stared at her. "I'm not a fucking witch, am I?"

"No," Zoey said. "She's much more useful than you."

Bill's face screwed up in rage, but he remained silent. Once Zoey had finished with the witch's scratch, she put the rest of the medical supplies away and stood, walking over to the ammo and beginning to reload her pistol's other mags. As she did, the room remained fairly silent, for a couple of seconds.

"What the fuck?" Francis said, Zoey looking at him, then following his gaze to the witch, who was cutting off pieces of the torso she meant to eat as Zoey had taught her to do with cake.

Zoey smiled, continuing to fill her mags. As she finished, she tucked them away and turned to the witch just as the witch reached her, offering her a piece of meat. "Sorry, but we can't eat that. Only you."

The witch cocked her head tot he side before sticking the piece in her own mouth and smiling. Zoey smiled as well and the witch returned to eating.

"You're treating it like a child," Bill said.

"She's learning to be human," Zoey said. "You think I should treat her like a monster?"

"It _is_ a monster, Zoey!" Bill snapped. "No matter what it does, no matter how much it protects you, it's nothing but a monster! And it always will be."

"You're wrong," Zoey said. "She's not a monster. She's my friend. And she's a better human than a few of the humans I've met."

She glared at Bill and Francis, both of whom glared right back. After a moment, the witch stood, walking forward and wrapping her arms around Zoey, whimpering and resting her head on Zoey's shoulder. Zoey rested a hand on the witch's arms, the other reaching up around the witch's head. The other two's glared intensified, but Zoey ignored them, turning around in the witch's arms and hugging her back.

"It's alright," Zoey said. "You can go ahead and eat. I can handle them."

The witch whimpered again before stepping back and returning to her meal, still eating it a bitesize piece at a time. Zoey turned back to the other three.

"That _thing_ is not staying here," Bill snarled. "As soon as it's done eating, it's leaving. And if you want to go with it, that's on you."

"Fine," Zoey said.

"Zoey, think about what you're saying," Louis said. "You're choosing a witch over us?"

"No," Zoey said. "I'm choosing to not abandon my friend. I guess in retrospect I shouldn't be surprised that none of you three can understand that decision."

"Zoey, that was different," Louis said. "We _couldn't_ save you. We would all have died too if we had tried. But _this_? Zoey, she's a witch! A very well-behaved, and seemingly innocent one, but a witch none the less."

"Exactly," Zoey said. "It's a witch that is actively protecting a human, and who eats other infected. And cake. Other infected avoid her. And any that don't, she kills. And she's getting smarter. Every day that she and I travel together, she learns. You think she learned to eat that way on her own?"

Louis watched the witch for a moment before sighing and shaking his head. "No. I don't. I believe you. And I believe that you truly believe that she doesn't pose a threat to you, and that you think maybe she could create a cure, but she's still a witch. And we've never seen one like her before. Maybe she's protecting you now, but what if tomorrow she decides you look like lunch? Or what if she's just using you to get to the safe zone?"

"She's not," Zoey said flatly.

"You know, I would have thought that you, of all people, would have been the first to shoot a witch in the face, not befriend it," Bill said. "After what happened to Cassy."

"You're right," Zoey growled, teeth clenched and fists shaking at her sides. "After that, I have every right to hate witches. And I do. But she's _different_!"

"You think she's innocent or something?" Bill demanded. "You don't know what she's done! Who she's killed! What if it was her that killed Cassy? You didn't kill that witch, did you?"

"No," Zoey said. "But it wasn't her."

"Really?" Bill asked. "What'd that witch look like?"

"A witch," Zoey said.

"And what does that thing look like?" Bill asked.

"A person!" Zoey snapped. "It wasn't her that killed Cassy! For all we know, that witch died later anyway!"

"For all you know, it was _that thing behind you_!" Bill seethed. "That thing is a witch! For all you know it's the witch that killed your girlfriend!"

Zoey snapped, marching over to Bill and slapping him, hard. Bill glared at her furiously, but Zoey turned away from him, grabbing her pistol off the table, along with a new AK47 that had been left beside the table. Once she had both, she turned to the witch, who was waiting for her by the door already, the torso held in her left hand by impaling it through the chest with her claws. At the back of her mind, some part of her actually argued that maybe it really _wasn't_ the best idea to chose a witch over the others. But then she and the witch left the safe house through the back door and left deeper into the sewer, heading for the next safe house.

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	6. Chapter 6

I do not own Left4Dead or any of the characters.

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Bonding

Zoey rested her head on the witch's shoulder as the witch walked along, tilting it to lean it against the witch's own head. She felt bad for having slapped Bill, and she felt back for leaving the others behind. However, she would absolutely not abandon the witch, and that meant that if they wouldn't travel with the witch, Zoey would have to leave them behind. The witch made a whimpering sound and Zoey lifted her head, looking down at her.

"Are you okay?" Zoey asked, the witch looking up at her, frowning. "Don't worry about me. I'll be okay. I like you better than them anyway."

The witch smiled, though it didn't look very happy, so Zoey hugged her, giving her a light, comforting squeeze, the witch tilting her head against Zoey's for a moment. Zoey loosened her arms back to more or less resting them around her shoulders. The witch's monstrous strength meant that she could probably carry three of Zoey in any position without any noticeable difficulty, so Zoey didn't need to support her own weight.

They passed through the winding sewage tunnel in silence. It had been drained, or the lack of anyone flushing their toilets had caused it to dry up, so the witch didn't have to wade through anything too disgusting. There were rats and dried feces, but the witch didn't seem to mind, probably because she had been covered in worse when she and Zoey had met. And somewhat again. Her bra and panties were stained red again, but she had gotten the blood off of her skin. After a few more minutes, they reached a ladder, the witch setting Zoey down and climbing up it and out at the top, looking around. After a moment, she reappeared at the top, beckoning Zoey up by waving her hand in a "Come here" motion.

Zoey climbed the ladder, again wondering where the witch had learned to do that, but decided it didn't really matter. Once she was at the top, she also looked around, finding they were in a sort of generator room, and there was a table with ammo, two shotguns and a hunting rifle, and a coupe medkits beside the door out. Zoey picked up one medkit, leaving the ammo, guns, and other medkit for the others when they came through. The witch opened the door and Zoey limped through, the witch following. Outside, there was a dirt trail leading through the woods away from the building and not much else.

"Do you mind carrying me some more?" Zoey asked the witch, who smiled and knelt down.

Zoey climbed onto the witch's back, and the witch stood, walking away from the building. As they walked, Zoey watched the woods carefully. They hadn't met a single infected since they left the last safe house. And, while Zoey knew infected avoided the witch and also didn't mind not having to deal with them, it seemed that something was a bit off about it. It unsettled her a little that there were so few. She would actually prefer it if they had to kill a handful every now and then. At least then she wouldn't feel like they were being led into an ambush.

After a ways, the dirt road reached an interstate and they turned along it, following the directions of a safe house symbol spray painted on the road. They walked for a good ten to fifteen minutes before taking an exit ramp at a sign with a white safe house symbol sprayed onto it. Almost as soon as they were off the ramp, they reaching a motel that was two stories and had a massive safe house symbol spray painted on the side of it with a dozen arrows around one of the rooms, which had been replaced with a metal safe house door and a metal frame. The witch walked toward it, taking the exterior stairs and then heading along the upper walkway to the door, pushing it open. Inside, there was a pair of suitcases left open with clothes pilling out, a pair of mini-fridges, a shower, and a single bed. The witch walked inside, setting Zoey on her feet before closing the door, pushing the two fridges over to block it, then picking up the TV stand and setting that there as well.

While she did, Zoey walked over to the suitcases, taking off her jeans and tossing them aside, since she had been wearing them since the infected started to appear. Then, she picked up a new pair of jeans from one of the suitcases. They were women's skinny jeans, but were a size bigger than hers. Still, they would fit well enough and were clean. She also grabbed a shirt and a red hoody from the suitcase, setting the clean clothes on the bed and digging through the suitcase. No underwear. She dug through the other. One pair. She sighed, rolling her eyes and setting them out for the witch, then looking over at her, seeing her watching her.

"Do you want some more clothes than just underwear?" Zoey asked.

The witch cocked her head to the side before looking down at the suitcases. She knelt, picking up a very short pair of jean shorts and a white tank top with spaghetti straps, holding them out to Zoey. Zoey smiled, nodding and setting the clothes with the witch's underwear. The witch's choice wasn't excessively different from what she normally wore. Zoey stood, sitting on the bed and pulling out her medkit, unwrapping her bullet wound and inspecting it. It was healing fairly well. She stood, limping to the bathroom and getting in the shower, beginning to wash herself. After several minutes, she finished and pulled the curtain back, finding the witch rinsing her mouth after having finished brushing with one of two new toothbrushes sitting by the sink, having taken her underwear off already.

"Your turn," Zoey said, stepping out and grabbing her towel.

The witch stepped into the shower, picking up the soap and holding it out to Zoey. Zoey smiled.

"You can do it," Zoey said. "You just have to remember to get everything."

The witch extended her arm a little more and Zoey sighed.

"Really?" Zoey asked.

The witch whimpered and Zoey sighed, setting her towel back down and taking the soap.

"Fine, but I'm only doing your back this time," Zoey said. "You're getting the rest."

The witch smiled and nodded, turning so that Zoey could wash her back. Zoey sighed, rolling her eyes and spreading soap onto her hands. Once she had enough, she brushed some of the witch's hair out of the way and began to spread soap over the witch's back and shoulders. As before, she marveled at how smooth and soft the witch's skin was. It simply seemed weird for a dangerous zombie's skin to be that soft. Zoey blinked, finding that she had gone from rubbing the witch's back to running her hands down the witch's arms and around the front of her stomach. She hadn't realized she had been that lost in thought. She started to pull her hands back but the witch caught them, whimpering. She smiled, continuing to gently run her hands over the witch's skin on her stomach, sides, back, and arms, spreading more soap there.

"You know, you're supposed to be the one cleaning yourself, right?" Zoey asked.

The witch made a small noise at the back of her throat. Zoey sighed, moving her hands around to the witch's stomach again just as the witch stepped back, leaning back against Zoey. Zoey sucked in a breath as she did, her heart starting to beat a little faster as a sort of warm feeing formed in her chest. After a moment, she rested her chin on the witch's shoulder, gently turning one way a few inches, then back the other, hands sitting idly on the witch's stomach now, the witch's hands over hers. After a few more seconds, the witch pulled away, turning around to face Zoey, staring at her. Zoey stared back, again captivated by the witch's eyes. She could swear they were more pink than before. But maybe it was a trick of the light.

The witch's eyes flicked downward and Zoey felt her stomach come alive with butterflies as realization finally set in of what was actually happening. She finally understood exactly why the witch was protecting her, and why she was so willing to stay with the witch. She hesitated, then leaned forward and captured the witch's lips with her own. The witch's eyes slid closed as she kissed Zoey back. The kiss was slow, and chaste, and unsure. The witch wasn't really sure what to do, and Zoey found she was still hesitant about kissing the witch. After a couple seconds, Zoey pulled back to breathe but the witch followed instantly, capturing her lips again, showing a little more confidence this time, doing what she had felt Zoey doing before. Zoey kissed her back, allowing herself to relax more, and allowing herself to forget about _what_ she was kissing, focusing instead on _who_. A very attractive blonde with the most unique, beautiful eyes Zoey had ever seen, and who had been protecting Zoey since they met. After a few seconds, Zoey wrapped her arms around the witch, pulling her tighter against herself, the witch responding in kind. Zoey deepened the kiss, slipping her tongue into the witch's mouth, coaxing the witch's tongue to move with hers. After a couple of seconds, the witch began to grow more confident again, her tongue beginning to slide against Zoey's more quickly, also slipping past Zoey's to explore inside Zoey's mouth, Zoey allowing her to. After a few more minutes, separated to breathe for a moment before continuing.

Zoey felt the witch's hands beginning to slide over the skin on her back and Zoey's own doing the same. After only a few moments of this, though, Zoey pulled away, trying to slow her breathing and struggling to make herself stop. The witch stared at her in confusion and Zoey sighed, smiling ruefully.

"You know, a few days ago, I hated all infected, and would shoot a witch, any witch, on sight, just out of principle," Zoey said, resting her forehead against the witch's, the witch watching her worriedly. "And now, here I am, starting to fall for one. I'm a joke. We can't go to the safe zone. You'd be killed on sight, there. And we can't travel with anyone else. No one would understand."

The witch whimpered and Zoey smiled, kissing her chastely for a moment.

"Don't worry," Zoey said. "No matter what happens, I'm not leaving you. Not as long as I'm alive."

The witch smiled and nodded, reaching forward slightly but stopping. Zoey leaned in, capturing the witch's lips again, but kept it slow this time. The witch followed her lead, as she had before, but _did_ pull Zoey tighter against her again, gently running her hands over Zoey's back again. After a few moments, Zoey pulled away, smiling.

"Now, you need to finish your shower," Zoey said. "And I need to brush my teeth and get dressed. It's time for bed."

She gave the witch a quick peck on the lips before stepping out and toweling off, then brushing her teeth and walking out into the main room, setting her underwear on one of the beds, climbing into the other bed naked and sighing. She Lay there for about five minutes before the witch walked out of the bathroom, lying on the bed beside her. Zoey smiled, lifting the covers and the witch slipped under them, wrapping her arms around Zoey. Zoey smiled, setting the covers back down and wrapping her own arms around the witch, pulling her closer, their legs slipping between each other's. Zoey smiled, reaching forward and kissing the witch for a moment before setting her head back down, smiling and closing her eyes. After several seconds, she drifted off to sleep, the witch following suit after another moment.

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	7. Chapter 7

I do not own Left4Dead or any of the characters.

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Unsure

Zoey stirred, feeling the witch moving. Not much, but her weight kept shifting slightly. She cracked an eye open, seeing the witch eating a chocolate cake. Zoey smiled, wondering when exactly the witch had gotten it. The witch paused when she noticed Zoey's eyes were open and Zoey's smile grew.

"Good morning," Zoey smiled. "Breakfast?"

The witch smiled as well, holding a piece of cake out for Zoey, who ate it off of the witch's claw, smiling. Once she had swallowed her piece, she leaned forward, kissing the witch, who kissed her back instantly, her cake forgotten. As they kissed, the witch hesitantly slid her tongue between Zoey's lips, Zoey allowing it entrance and meeting it with her own instantly. The witch's tongue began to dance with Zoey's, the witch pulling Zoey a little tighter and pulling her legs higher, accidentally making one press against Zoey's core. Zoey moaned instantly as a bolt of electricity seemed to shoot through her from her snatch, Zoey squeezing her own legs, instinctively holding the witch's in place. After a moment, the witch pressed her leg into Zoey a little harder, Zoey moaning again, this time beginning to rock her hips against the witch's leg. She pulled back after a moment, sliding back where the witch's leg wasn't against her womanhood and trying to calm her breathing.

"Sorry," Zoey said. "I have to use the bathroom. And I want another shower before we leave, since we might not find one again for a while."

The witch nodded, returning to her cake and Zoey stood, walking to the bathroom and closing the door, leaning against it and reaching between her legs, bring her hand back wet and sticky.

"Jesus," Zoey breathed. "This much? From just that?"

She sighed, turning the water on and waiting for it to reach a good temperature before getting in, beginning to clean herself. After a few minutes, the witch stepped in, lips covered in chocolate, and stepped in front of the water while Zoey was trying to rinse off.

"Hey!" Zoey said. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

The witch smiled.

Zoey shook her head, smiling. "Whoever taught you to tease is mean. Please move?"

The witch smiled again and Zoey shook her head, stepping forward, kissing the witch and wrapping her arms around her, the witch kissing her back. As they kissed, Zoey slipped her tongue out, cleaning the remains of the cake off of the witch's lips, then spun them around, getting to the water and releasing the witch, turning and finishing rinsing off. When she was done, she turned back around. The witch held the soap out and Zoey smiled, shaking her head.

"You can wash yourself," Zoey said. "I know you know how. You did just fine last night."

The witch merely stood there, smiling and holding out the soap so Zoey sighed, taking it.

"You sure are pushy for someone who can't talk," Zoey said.

She spread soap onto her hands while the witch turned away, then reached up, gently beginning to spread it over the witch's neck, shoulders, and back again. She spread it down each of the witch's arms before moving to the witch's sides and stomach. Then, she slowly trailed her hands upward, feeling her stomach come alive with butterflies, only to ignore them, trailing her hands up to the witch's breasts and beginning to massage the soap into them, the witch making a whimpering, moaning noise as she did. After a couple of minutes, Zoey slid her hands back downward, running them over the witch's smooth, flat stomach for a moment before sliding them around to the outside of the witch's hips and upper thighs. After a moment, she took her hands back, adding more soap, then reached down, returning to the witch's thighs, working around to the front, then to the witch's inner thighs. The witch slid a leg to the side, allowing Zoey easier access. Zoey's hands gently and slowly massaged the soap into the witch's thighs, then slowly moved her right hand up, trailing it around the witch's core and up to her pelvis, massaging the soap there to. The witch leaned back against her, whimpering, and Zoey smiled, leaning forward, pushing the witch into the stream long enough to rinse off the witch's neck.

Then, as she leaned back so the witch was out of the water again, she attached her lips to the witch's pulse point, sucking the soft skin of the witch's neck, making the witch moan. Zoey stared down at her own hand, which was still teasing the witch by rubbing her pelvis, the witch's own hands on Zoey's thighs, mostly seemingly to keep herself from forcing Zoey into anything, since the witch clearly wasn't supporting herself with her hands. Zoey's eyes returned to her own hand. She suddenly felt unsure. Not only because the witch _was_ a witch, but also because they had only gotten together the night before, and she had decided she wasn't ready for this yet.

It wasn't that she didn't _want_ this. She could already feel her own arousal demanding to be noticed. But she wasn't sure if she was ready to do this yet. The witch seemed to sense her hesitation, because she turned her head, pulling away slightly and giving Zoey a concerned look. Zoey sighed, smiling sadly.

"Sorry," Zoey said. "I guess I'm just...a little...I don't know."

The witch kissed Zoey, the kiss slow and meaningful. After a moment, she pulled away, face screwing up in concentration.

"W...W...When...r...read...y," the witch said with difficulty.

Zoey's eyes widened before she felt then start to sting. She smiled, kissing the witch again, holding the witch against her. The witch kissed her back, hands resting on the small of Zoey's back. After a minute, Zoey's hands slid down to the witch's rear, massaging it, the witch sighing and sticking her ass out more for Zoey. After a moment, zoey broke the kiss.

"We still have to finish your shower," Zoey said. "Turn around."

The witch did as instructed and Zoey spread some more soap onto her hands before beginning to massage it into the witch's body again. Zoey stared at the witch's face from the side as she spread the soap, watching as the witch stood there, eyes closed in a peaceful expression. Zoey sighed silently. This witch had done so much for her. Almost as much as Bill and the others had done. And despite everything, Zoey still wasn't really able to treat the witch like a person. More than the others, sure. But she knew that whether or not she was willing to accept it, she still struggled to see the witch as anything but a witch. It was part of why she was unsure at the moment.

Zoey bent down, placing a gentle kiss against the side of the witch's neck, the witch tilting her head to the side. Zoey smiled, kissing the side of the witch's neck again before resting her chin on the witch's shoulder, her hands coming to rest on the witch's stomach. She began to sway slightly, the witch's head resting against hers.

"Z...Zo...ey," the witch said.

"Hm?"

"L...L...L..." the witch's face screwed up in concentration but Zoey felt her chest constrict.

She couldn't say it back. Not honestly. She knew she couldn't. She turned the witch's head, kissing her for a moment to stop her from talking.

"Don't say it," Zoey said, voice cracking. "Not yet."

The witch watched her for a moment before nodding, leaning her head against Zoey's again. After several seconds, the witch reached out, turning off the water before resting her hands over Zoey's. She whimpered but Zoey shook her head.

"Not yet," Zoey said. "I don't want to leave yet. I just want to stay here with you. Just for a little while."

The witch didn't respond, instead slipping her fingers between Zoey's. After several minutes, Zoey finally pulled away, toweling off and handing one to the witch to do the same.

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	8. Chapter 8

I do not own Left4Dead or any of the characters.

* * *

Trouble

Zoey sighed as she watched the witch pull her clothes on. She didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay. To just stay in that hotel room with the witch forever, and pretend the world wasn't slowly dying. But they couldn't. The witch was starting to get hungry again, and they needed to keep moving anyway. After the shower, they had spent the better part of three hours simply lying in bed, holding each other. Now, they needed to leave.

The witch pushed the barricade out of the way, opening the door and looked back to Zoey, who made her way over, following the witch out of the hotel room. Outside, there were a handful of infected, which the witch instantly took off, killing easily. Then, as Zoey made her way down to the street, the witch waited at the bottom, carving pieces off of the infected and eating one every few. When Zoey reached her, the witch held out the pieces piled in her palm, all vaguely shaped like apple slices but dripping with infected blood and smelling terrible.

"H...H...Hold...p...plea...se," the witch asked.

Zoey accepted the pile of rotten flesh, the witch turning and allowing her to climb onto her back. Then, as they walked, the witch picked up a piece of flesh every couple of seconds, eating it as she walked.

"To-go meal, huh?" Zoey asked as the witch finished the pieces. "Good idea. Was that enough?"

The witch glanced back at her and whimpered and Zoey nodded, giving the witch a gentle hug.

"We can stop so you can eat soon," Zoey said. "I promise."

The witch nodded and continued walking. After a half hour of silence, the witch finally slowed to a stop as they reached a gas station on the side of the road. Zoey stepped down and the witch walked over to the door, which slid open, a small chime going off. Instantly, a roar rang out and the witch hissed, spinning away from the door as Zoey drew her pistol and limped quickly through the door, the witch following. As the next door of the set slid open, three infected lunged at Zoey, but she shot them all instantly, dropping them. She hurried into the store, heading for the door straight ahead, the only room that they could possibly hold easily. It was the room behind the beer cooler. It would be barely twenty degrees in there if the air conditioners were still running, but it had only one way in available to the infected, so they could bottleneck them easily.

She made it to the door, shoving it open and shooting the one infected inside, then limped to the far side, directly opposite the door and turned, leaning back against the stacks of beer against the wall, aiming her AK at the door, the witch standing beside her. After a moment, there was a deafening crash and an alarm began to sound as the horde smashed through the doors. Zoey swore. They would need to shut the alarm off quick. Before she could try to move, the door swung open, a couple dozen infected surging through, only to be shredded by her AK. She grit her teeth, watching as more and more flooded into the store. She needed to shut the alarm off. She knew how. She had learned it from a friend who worked at a convenience store a while back. But to do it, she would have to get out of the cooler and to the security room she had seen against the wall that would now be to her right. On an injured leg and with a horde already inside the store, there was no way she'd be able to get there alive, even with the witch protecting her. Zoey's mag ran dry and she began to reload it, glancing at the witch as she did, seeing the witch holding her hands to her ears, eyes squeezed shut and teeth clenched. That settled it. They were going. Safe or not.

"We're leaving!" Zoey shouted, the witch glancing at her and nodding, extending her claws and lowering her hands.

Then, the witch burst through the door, tearing into the next wave, Zoey making a break for the security room, gritting her teeth and sprinting. As she rounded the last aisle, infected flooded around the other end, Zoey stopping and spraying bullets at them, dropping them rapidly. As she did, the infected split around the aisle, only for the witch to crash into the oncoming side, shredding them as she headed up the aisle. Zoey suddenly felt foolish. She had clearly underestimated the witch's ability to kill. She reloaded the rifle and headed for the door. Just as the rifle ran dry, the witch reached the end of the aisle, grabbing the one infected Zoey hadn't killed by the back using her claws and hurled him into the oncoming ones as Zoey reloaded. Then, Zoey shouldered the door open, dropping into the chair in front of the security desk and quickly typing on the keyboard. Finally, after several seconds, the alarm shut off. As it did, Zoey's ears began to ring, everything else sounding muffled. Including the deafening roar of yet another horde closing in.

She threw herself out of the chair, hobbling to the beer cooler and shoving through the door. She spun as she entered, raising the rifle to kill the infected following only for the closest one to split in half at the waist, the legs being flung backward and the witch bringing the upper body in with her, dropping it near the back before beginning to shove shelves, beer boxes, and liquor cases in front of the door and the beer racks that the infected would inevitably figure out they could get through. Zoey began to help, and soon, they were barricaded inside.

Zoey sat heavily against the back wall, beginning to shiver slightly as the witch knelt beside the infected she had brought, and the one inside that Zoey had shot before, quickly and messily eating them both, leaving very little behind. Then, she walked over, dropping beside Zoey and cuddling into Zoey, Zoey feeling her shaking like a leaf. She quickly unzipped her sweatshirt, pulling the witch into her lap and zipping it around them both, stretching it out badly but managing to get it closed. Once she had, she began to rock slightly, moving forward and back, diagonal, side to side, anything to keep her body warm. Unlike her, the witch didn't generate body heat. Zoey rested a hand on the back of the witch's neck and grimaced. Her skin was as cold as ice already.

The witch whimpered, trying to burrow deeper into Zoey's shirt and Zoey wrapped herself further around the witch, desperately willing her body to heat up, to keep the witch warm. She looked up, seeing infected had filled the store and were standing there, watching their prey freeze to death. She narrowed her eyes. She hated them all. It was their fault. She and the witch hadn't been bothering them. They had just been looking for food. It wasn't their fault that the door had jingled. She continued to move, trying to stay warm. The minutes continued to tick by. Finally, Zoey couldn't feel her own feet, or hands. She looked down at the witch, seeing the witch's eyes threatening to slip closed and shook her slightly, the witch forcing her eyes open and looking up at her.

"D-Don't go t-to s-sleep," Zoey stammered.

The witch curled tighter still into Zoey and Zoey tipped her head back, her head hitting the metal wall with a clunk. She stopped, repeating the action before hope began to blossom in her chest, along with a feeling of annoyance that she hadn't had the idea before. She stood, unzipping the sweatshirt and letting the witch have it, zipping it closed over her before picking up a bottle of clear liquid and accidentally dropping it, the contents splashing across the floor. She swore, grabbing another and holding it more carefully, reading the label. Everclear. Highly flammable. Basically a burning convenience store waiting to happen. She smashed several more before ripping off a part of her shirt and soaking it in some of the liquid, shoving half of it into the bottle.

"C-Can y-you b-break the w-wall?" Zoey stammered, pointing away from the infected before quickly ripping off more of her shirt, leaving it to end just barely lower than her bra, and making a second molotov.

The witch nodded as Zoey pulled out her lighter, flicking it. Nothing. The witch set her hands on the wall. Another flick. Nothing.

"Come on you piece of shit!" Zoey screamed at the lighter, too angry to feel the cold. "Light damn you!"

The witch shoved the wall, growling with effort, and the wall all but shattered outward. Zoey flicked the lighter and got a flame, lighting both molotovs and stepping into the hole, happy to see it was clear. She turned, hurling one into the cooler as they quickly left, the molotov shattering on the ground the everclear on the floor erupting into an almost instant inferno, the flames shooting under the cooler's door instantly as Zoey had been careful to make the Everclear run under it, igniting the infected. The, Zoey hurled the second molotov as high and far as she could over the store. As soon as she did, the witch swept her off her feet, turning and starting to run. Zoey looked back, seeing smoke curling up from the front of the store. Then, by some miracle, or some godsend, the gas under the gas station erupted, the explosion hurling Zoey and the witch both, igniting basically the entirety of the front of the store and the roof. Zoey landed hard, rolling to a stop, the witch stopping beside her, slowly pushing herself up and looking back toward the store, Zoey smiling happily.

"I don't even care how that happened," Zoey smiled. "We did it."

The witch nodded, pushing herself up before collapsing again. Zoey shouted in surprise and crawled over, lifting the witch's upper body, feeling her icy skin before looking down, seeing the witch's leg was broken and the bone was sticking out. Her breath caught in her throat before she set the witch down, moving to the leg and gritting her teeth.

"I'm sorry," Zoey said, tears running down her face. "I'm so sorry."

Then, she yanked the witch's leg downward, the bone jerking back into the witch's leg as the witch screamed, sounding as human and pained as Zoey had been afraid she would. Then, as soon as the leg was reset, Zoey felt her back explode into agony and froze, staring down at the blood pooling below her. So she had actually done it this time. She smiled ruefully and turned, looking to the witch, only to see her watching her, eyes wide with shock and clawless hands in the process of crushing Zoey's AK. Zoey began to fall to the side, turning as she did and staring up at a second witch. Zoey's eyes widened still further as she saw the human face, the pointed teeth, and the blood-matted brunette hair hanging in tangles around the new witch's head. The witch raised her bloody claws and licked them clean. Then, she raised them again.

Instantly, it was like a switch was flipped. Zoey's witch unleashed an unholy, deafening shriek and flung herself at the other witch, the two beginning to shred each other instantly. Zoey drew her pistol, scrambling away and aiming at the pair, only to stop. They were rolling around too much for her to be able to hit the enemy witch without hitting her witch. She watched in horror and fear as the screaming, shrieking, clawing, biting, and slashing continued. There was so much blood. Terror sank into Zoey deeply. She couldn't lose her witch. She couldn't. Then, all at once, it was over. The enemy witch was standing and Zoey's witch was on the ground in a heap, trembling and whimpering. The enemy witch was bleeding profusely, and had gashes everywhere, but she growled menacingly, stalking toward Zoey. Zoey screamed in rage and pain and fear, opening fire, the bullets drilling into the witch's face nearly uselessly.

Finally, the gun clicked and Zoey's arm fell to her side, her eyes wide with fear. This was it. She was going to die. Her eyes fell to the other witch. _Her_ witch. Her friend. The witch's head raised slightly, staring into Zoey's eyes, tears running out of them. Zoey stared at her eyes. They were a definite pink. She was certain of it now. Suddenly, rage flooded Zoey. She _wouldn't_ let the witch die. _Her_ witch. She would defend her. Even if that meant that she had to fight a witch barehanded. She didn't, of course. She still had pistol mags. She slapped a new one in and shoved off the ground, leaping at the witch. It caught her by the throat, but before it could crush her throat, Zoey drilled the pistol into her eye, embedding it into her skull before rapidly squeezing the trigger, blood exploding out of the back of the witch's head rapidly. Then, finally, the witch dropped. Zoey wrenched her pistol free and gripped the barrel, slamming the grip down on the witch's forehead again and again. At first, there was no obvious effect, besides cutting into the skin. Then, the skull caved in and Zoey shouted in triumph and anger, slamming the pistol down several more times, earning a spray of blood each time before finally scrambling to her feet, sprinting to her witch.

She dropped beside her and grabbed one of her two medkits, beginning to rapidly and sloppily bandage her gashes. She made sure to at least slow the bleeding, then picked the witch up, turing in the direction of the next safe house and beginning to run. Her back screamed, her leg burned, but her witch whimpered pitifully and Zoey pushed herself faster. She couldn't put the witch over her shoulders because the witch's stomach was all but shredded. She glanced down at the witch, whose head was bobbing, and looked around. there was a sign, saying that the safe house was another mile away. She'd be damned if she ran that far without stopping to make sure the witch would survive the trip. She turned, ducking into an abandoned house with a broken door. She carried the witch to the dining room, setting her down before picking up a kitchen knife and killing two infected with it before cutting the witch's already blood-soaked bandages and ruined clothing off. She quickly opened the other med kit, smiling as she found a needle and thread, which was already prepped for use. She didn't have long, however, so she ignored it, grabbing gauze pads and shoving them into the witch's wounds, ignoring her whimpers of pain.

Finally, the bleeding had been slowed enough for Zoey to work, as long as she was quick. She had never stitched wounds before, but she had done ripped clothes, so it would have to be enough. She quickly began to stitch the witch's wounds, pulling the gauze pad out of the way before starting each. After nearly twenty minutes, she finished and used the bandages to rapidly cover the wounds. She looked up at the witch, who stared at her tiredly, tears still running out of her eyes. Zoey placed a kiss on the witch's forehead before picking her up and turning, running back out of the building and turning down the road, running along it, once again completely ignoring her own pain. Finally, after nearly twenty minutes, they reached the safe house, a large house with manilla walls, all the windows barred, the one door in front a massive red and grey steel safe house door, and massive steel fences on either side of the house.

Zoey ran into the safe house, setting the witch on the couch and grabbing a machete from a side table beside it, quickly clearing the building before heading outside, whistling. A pair of infected charged at her instantly, only for Zoey to kill them with the machete, dragging them inside and pushing the door closed, barring it. Then, she looked up only to scream and fall backward, staring at the window. There, standing just outside, was the witch she thought she had killed, caved in skull, back of the head missing, and a hole where her left eye should be. She stared at Zoey in silence, making no move to break the door open, so Zoey scrambled to her feet, finding as much useless furniture as she could to shove in front of the door. Then, once she had finished, she returned to her witch, picking her up and carrying her up the stairs to the bedroom, laying her on the bed before closing and locking the door. Then, she knelt beside the bed, stroking the witch's forehead, brushing her hair out of her face. The witch's eyes opened and she looked up at Zoey, who smiled.

"Hey," Zoey smiled. "Are you okay?"

The witch whimpered and Zoey nodded.

"I know," Zoey said. "Try to bear with it. You heal really fast, so you should be okay soon. And we can stay here for a while. At least, I hope so."

The witch nodded, reaching out and turning Zoey. Zoey allowed her to, letting her inspect the gashes in Zoey's back.

"B...B...Bad," the witch said, voice weak.

Zoey nodded, looking around, then heading into the bathroom. She opened the medicine cabinet, finding some bandages. She carefully rapped her injuries, then walked back to the bed, sitting down beside the witch and returning to gently stroking her hair. The witch whimpered again and Zoey slipped her free hand into the witch's, lacing their fingers together. Slowly, the witch began to drift away. Zoey grit her teeth, praying for God to spare her, to allow her to not die. Finally, the witch slipped into unconsciousness and Zoey began to cry quietly. And there she stayed, holding the witch's hand and stroking her hair, waiting to see if she was going to be left alone again.

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	9. Chapter 9

I do not own Left4Dead or any of the characters.

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Mine

Zoey wiped her eyes, more tears spilling out, only to be wiped away as well. The witch was alive. But that was where the good news ended. She wasn't healing. She hadn't woken up in a day, and she was still bleeding, albeit slowly, thanks to the stitches. Zoey could only think of one possible way to save her. The witch needed to eat. But if eating a corpse didn't work, that would mean that the witch needed something else. Her.

Zoey climbed off of the bed, kneeling beside one of the corpses she had brought up from downstairs when she went to check the barricade. She used the e to cut a chunk of meat off, retraining a gag at the smell. Rotten flesh definitely wasn't her favorite part of the apocalypse. She climbed back onto the bed and slipped a small piece of flesh into the witch's mouth. However, after a moment of it simply sitting there, she pulled it back out. She stared down at the witch in silence. She had two options. Chew for the witch, or cut the pieces smaller and hope she could swallow them whole.

She stared at the rotted flesh. there was no conceivable way she could chew that and not vomit all over the floor. Not even if it meant saving her witch. She cut a smaller piece off, making it the size of her fingernail. Then, she placed it in the witch's mouth, tiling her head back. After a moment, the witch swallowed. Zoey tried another piece. Again the witch swallowed. Then, the witch rolled, vomiting the rotted flesh onto the floor. Zoey dropped the flesh, using her forearm to cover her nose instantly. That settled it. There was only one other option. She swallowed hard, looking down at her body, trying to decide what the best place to cut a piece off would be. Her thighs had flesh to spare, but that would make wearing pants extremely painful, as well as having the witch carry her. Her arms would be less debilitating, slightly, but she'd have to cut more off.

She looked down at the witch and sighed, walking to the bathroom and scrubbing the rotted flesh off of the blade. Then, she returned to the bedroom, sitting down beside the witch and placing the blade against her arm. She stopped, however. She wouldn't be able to cut it easily. It would end up being jagged and bleed heavily, and she might actually hit bone. She moved the blade away again and stared down at her body again. Never had she cursed being petite so much. At least if she was fat she'd have something to feed the witch. Finally, she sighed, gripping the skin on her side and gritting her teeth. She would need so many pain pills for this.

She screamed almost instantly as the machete bit into her side. She grit her teeth to try to hold the screams in, but she couldn't. After a few seconds, her mind began to shut down from the pain, the pain being about all she was sure of. Finally, she was drawn back to reality as she heard the machete hit the floor. She blinked several times, her vision returning from its void of white to find her clutching a chunk of bloody flesh in her hand, her side bleeding. It wasn't a deep wound. In fact, given time, it might actually heal mostly. It'd scar pretty horribly, though. She sighed, holding it over the witch's mouth, allowing the blood to drip into her mouth. After several moments, the witch's eyes flew open and she snatched the chunk of flesh, taking a large bite out of it and beginning to chew noisily. However, as she swallowed and moved to take another bite, she stopped, staring at Zoey's side, then the meat. She dropped it instantly, eyes wide as she stared between it and Zoey, whimpering.

Zoey smiled, shaking her head. "It's alright. Just eat it. You need to get better. Please. I don't want to lose you. Please eat."

The witch stared at her before picking the chunk of flesh back up. She began to eat again, but slowly this time, seeming to be having to force herself, and with guilt showing in every corner of her she was done, Zoey, smiled, standing and stumbling away from the bed, reaching the dresser and pulling out a shirt, removing her own and tearing it into bandages, using another shirt to hold against the wound before wrapping hers around it, tying it off. Once she had bandaged herself, she walked back over to the bed, climbing onto it beside the witch and sitting down again. The witch watched her, eyes full of concern and fear, but Zoey smiled.

"I'm okay," Zoey smiled. "I'll heal. And now so will you."

The witch nodded, laying back down and lifting the sheets. Zoey smiled, climbing in beside the witch, then laying on her right side, facing away from the witch, so that she wouldn't be laying on her scratches or her freshly wounded side. The witch carefully cuddled up behind her, wrapping an arm around Zoey, keeping it above the wound on her side, then pressed her face to Zoey's back.

"S...S...Sorry," the witch said, voice trembling.

"Don't be," Zoey smiled. "I didn't want to lose you. I _couldn't_ lose you."

"H...H...Hurt...be...cause...lost...fight," the witch said.

"No," Zoey said. "I'm hurt because I chose to save you. I'll be okay. I promise. I'm not going anywhere. And I'm not letting you either."

The witch nodded against Zoey's back and Zoey smiled, lacing her fingers with the witch's, then closed her eyes, finally drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Zoey peeled the bandages away from her side. she had been lucky. The house had been fully stocked with food and had several medkits throughout the house, all of them with powerful antibiotics. Clearly the house had belonged to a doomsday prepper who hadn't made it home. They had been living in the house, just the two of them, for about two weeks.

Zoey's back had healed mostly, just some shallow scratches left, the rest having turned to scars. Her side, on the other hand, was much better than she hoped. When she woke up and inspected it, she found she hadn't cut off nearly as much as she initially thought. It was healing rather well, but currently was scabbed up and itched like road rash.

Whenever the witch got hungry, she'd leave through the back door, the Zoey would wait anxiously until she would return. So far, the witch had never been gone longer than twenty minutes. Zoey looked over at the clock and sighed. Not until now, anyway. She'd been gone for forty minutes already. Zoey finished bandaging her side to keep the scab from catching on her shirt just as she heard the back door close. She hurried out of the bathroom and down the stairs, finding the witch walking in, holding a katana in one hand and a new, undamaged AK in the other. Zoey ignored both, throwing her arms around the witch, kissing her and ignoring the hint of infected flesh on the witch's lips. She hated the taste, but she didn't care at the moment.

"Where were you?" Zoey asked. "I was so scared. I thought I lost you."

"S...Sorry," the witch said, her speech not having improved much, even though she had learned to act human much better in the last couple weeks. "F...Found...pawn...shop." She offered the weapons. "F...For...you."

Zoey stared at them, brain finally realizing what they were, and smiled, taking them. "Thank you. But next time, warn me ahead of time before you go on field trips. I couldn't bear it if something happened to you."

The witch nodded and Zoey kissed her again before pulled back, looking down at the blood covering the witch's hands and forearms, and some in her hair.

"Come on," Zoey smiled. "Let's go get you cleaned up."

The witch nodded and they walked upstairs to the bathroom. That was another plus about the house. The bathroom was big with a walk-in shower. The witch stopped at the sink, washing off her hands and forearms before she quickly brushed her teeth. As she did, Zoey inspected her hair.

"You'll have to wash your hair out," Zoey smiled.

The witch nodded, rinsing her mouth and kissing Zoey before pulling her bra and panties off. Then, she stepped into the shower, adjusting the water. Zoey walking into the bedroom and set the weapons down before glancing back toward the shower. They hadn't showered together since Zoey had stopped her saying she loved her. The witch had stuck to her promise to wait for Zoey to be ready before doing anything inappropriate, and hadn't tried to confess either.

Zoey sighed, staring at the bathroom door, listening to the shower run, as she felt her chest begin to ache. Her hand rested on her side in silence for several seconds. Finally, her eyes widened slowly and she quickly stripped off her clothes and bandages, all but running to the shower, her leg having healed about a week and a half ago.

She threw the door to the shower open, stepping up behind the witch and throwing her arms around her, peppering her neck and shoulders with kisses before pressing her lips to the back of the witch's freshly cleaned hair, then rested her forehead against the witch's head.

"I love you!" Zoey practically sobbed out. "I love you! I love you so much!"

The witch rested a hand over Zoey's arms, leaning her head against the side of Zoey's smiling.

"I...love...you...Zoey," the witch smiled. "My...name...Anna."

"I love you Anna," Zoey said, kissing the side of her neck.

Anna turned her head toward Zoey and Zoey kissed her, tears still rolling down her cheeks. They remained like that for a long while, trading chaste kisses in the shower, for so long that Zoey felt her fingers starting to prune. Finally, she pulled away, resting her forehead against Anna's.

"What...now?" Anna asked, Zoey switching to a more comfortable position with her head on Anna's right shoulder, leaning against Anna's own head.

"I don't care," Zoey said. "I don't care what we do as long as I have you."

Anna smiled, leaning back against Zoey as Zoey began to rock from side to side gently. As they stood there, Zoey's fingers began to lightly trail over Anna's stomach, Anna sighing contentedly, a small smile on her lips. Zoey tilted her head, kissing the back of Anna's shoulder. Anna smiled, her right hand reaching back to rest on the back of Zoey's head affectionately, the other resting on Zoey's left forearm. Zoey moved a little higher, kissing the top of Anna's shoulder. Anna sighed again, her face neutral as she looked at Zoey out of the corner of her eye, Zoey's eyes meeting hers for a moment before Zoey turned her head, kissing the side of Anna's neck over her pulse point, suckling gently at Anna's skin as her hands slid up to cup Anna's breasts, Anna moaning quietly, tilting her head back on Zoey's shoulder. Zoey continued to gently suckle at Anna's neck, nipping at her flesh every so often while her hands kneaded Anna's breasts, her index and middle fingers squeezing together over Anna's nipples, tugging them lightly, getting them erect in moments.

Anna's right hand curled its fingers into Zoey's hair, Zoey smiling as she began to get a bit more forceful with her kneading and suckling. After a moment, Zoey pinched Anna's nipples, tugging them slightly and gently rolling them between her fingers, pulling a louder and more forceful moan from Anna's lips. Anna's free hand moved down to Zoey's leg, kneading the flesh there and lightly tugging Zoey's hips tighter against her own. Zoey smiled against Anna's neck before sucking hard on it, Anna moaning as she did. Then, Zoey released her neck, smiling as she saw the dark spot she had left. She reattached her lips to Anna's neck after a moment, this time higher, just below Anna's jaw, and Anna moaned again, tilting her head out of the way for her.

As she suckled on Anna's neck, her hand slid down over Anna's stomach to her nethers, beginning to run its middle finger up and down through Anna's slit, Anna moaning deeply, hips rolling in time with her hand, Zoey taking special care to hit the clit each time. Anna's right hand also moved down to Zoey's hips, Anna seeming to be clinging to her. Zoey smiled as she circled Anna's clit a few times, Anna gasping, hips bucking at the sudden change in sensation before continuing to rock.

"How long have you been waiting for me?" Zoey asked, looking up at Anna.

Anna whimpered in response and Zoey smiled, kissing her cheek. Anna turned her head to meet Zoey's lips and their tongues began to dance instantly. Zoey slid her fingers down, pushing two of them into Anna, who broke the kiss to cry out in pleasure as Zoey began to thrust them in and out of her quickly, her other hand reaching down to quickly rub her clit, Anna's hips bucking with the motions of Zoey's hands. Zoey smiled, her hands quickly picking up speed until both were a blur, Anna's hips miraculously matching their speed. Zoey smiled as she returned to kissing the side of Anna's neck, beginning to leave more marks, more proof that Anna was hers. And that she was Anna's. As she did, she listened to Anna's breath coming in ragged gasps and pants, Anna unable to focus on anything other than Zoey's ministrations. Then, Anna's legs suddenly gave out and Anna paused to catch her, shifting her slightly so that she was more sitting on top of Zoey's own hips, before continuing, Anna's breathing again coming in ragged gasps. Zoey felt Anna's hand briefly struggling to find enough control to reach down and try to return the favor, but she simply sped up her own actions, robbing Anna of that small amount of control.

"Just enjoy," Zoey said between kisses on Anna's neck smiling as Anna let out something between a whimper and a mewling sound. She could feel Anna's insides quivering, and Anna's face was starting to contort in pleasure, but she could tell Anna was holding out for some reason. "Cum for me Anna. Cum for me."

All at once, Anna's breathing stopped and her head tilted back further as she began to arch. Zoey continued, sucking harshly at an especially sensitive spot she had found earlier on Anna's neck. Then, Just as Anna was starting to worry about Anna still not breathing, she suddenly jerked, gasping harshly before her juices began to actually spray out around Zoey's fingers like a faucet. Zoey smiled, releasing her neck but speeding up her hands, Anna spasming again and again, managing to gasp in another breath but still unable to force the air back out. Then, Zoey curled her fingers inside of Anna, switching to pulling upward with each thrust and finding a small bundle of nerves inside Anna. Instantly, Anna found her voice, crying out in pleasure with every thrust of Zoey's fingers, her body spasming almost uncontrollably as she continued to cum. Finally, her hand caught Zoey's, Anna not even having the strength to stop Zoey at the moment, allowing Zoey to continue but slow down slowly, easing Anna down from her peak. Finally, she pulled her fingers out of Anna, moving her left arm up to wrap around Anna's abdomen, Anna's left hand lacing her fingers with Zoey's from behind as her right reached up to the back of Zoey's head, curling and uncurling her fingers in her hair, panting and struggling to catch her breath as Zoey rubbed slow circles over Anna's clit with her right hand's middle finger. Finally, Anna began to breathe somewhat normally again and Zoey trailed her right hand up, wrapping it around Anna as well, kissing her shoulder.

"I love you," Zoey smiled, resting her chin on Anna's shoulder, still partially supporting Anna's weight as Anna's breathing continued to slowly even out.

"L...Love...you...too," Anna said, sounding more out of breath than speaking-challenged now."

Zoey reached out, turning off the water then remained standing there, swaying and twisting slowly with Anna. After several minutes, they finally stepped out, toweling off before heading out to the bed and climbing in, Anna bandaging Zoey's scratches for her before laying down, Zoey laying facing her, their legs entwined, and their hands clasped between them. Anna smiled, yawning, and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep almost instantly. Zoey smiled as well, legs shifting slightly as she winced, her nethers throbbing angrily at the lack of attention. She smiled, reaching down and kissing her and Anna's clasped fingers before setting her head back on the pillow and closing her eyes, willing herself to sleep

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	10. Chapter 10

I do not own Left4Dead or any of the characters.

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Truth

Zoey moaned, shifting her hips, struggling to stay asleep. She didn't want to wake up and be horny again. It was annoying. she just wanted to stay asleep and keep dreaming whatever good dream she had just been having. However, after a few more seconds, the building heat between her legs became too much for her to ignore and she moaned again, opening her eyes and blinking, staring at the ceiling for several seconds before she realized why she was so heated.

She threw the covers back and revealed Anna between her legs, her tongue hard at work cleaning up the mess her right hand's fingers were making by quickly rubbing her clit. Anna smiled up at her innocently, even as she continued to lap at Zoey's drenched slit, Zoey trying to speak only to moan.

"Anna," Zoey said just before Anna sped up her hands, Zoey feeling herself explode out of nowhere. "Shit! ANNA! ! !"

Her hips jerked and she clutched at Anna's head, holding her in place as her thighs squeezed her head, Anna greedily drinking as much of the juices she had worked so hard for as she could manage. As she did, her fingers continued to rub Zoey's clit until Zoey's orgasm had dragged on for far, far longer than it should have before Anna finally slowed her hand down, allowing Zoey to slowly work her way back down to Earth again.

Once she had, Zoey collapsed into a limp, panting, sweaty, thoroughly satisfied mess, staring in wide-eyed awe at the ceiling. She had _never_ cum that hard, even when Cassy, her girlfriend from before the apocalypse, who had been killed by a witch, had made her have her first squirting orgasm. somehow, Anna had made her have an even better one. Anna crawled up Zoey's body and Zoey grabbed her, dragging her into a kiss, Anna giggling even as their tongues dueled, Zoey desperately trying to express how good she felt. finally, the kiss calmed, slowing down and becoming chaste for several minutes before Anna pulled back, smiling down at Anna.

"Good...morning," Anna smiled.

"Wake me up like that every morning," Zoey said. "That was...that was easily the best orgasm I've ever had."

Anna smiled and kissed her before standing. As she did, Zoey simply lay there, still reeling and trying to remember how to move. Finally, Anna knelt on the bed between Zoey's legs, taking her hands and pulling her up.

"Need to...get up," Anna said.

Zoey sighed, nodding and turned, swinging her legs off the bed and standing, feeling her legs trembling. She pulled a clean pair of panties on before stepping into her jeans and trying to pull them up only to fall backward onto the bed, laughing. Anna smiled, watching Zoey lift her legs and pull he pants down over her knees. As she did, a small picture fell out of her pocket, and Anna walked over, picking it up and looking at it.

Anna froze, staring at the pretty blonde in the picture, one that had her arms draped around Zoey from behind. Zoey looked at the picture and smiled sadly.

"That's Cassy," Zoey said, then looked at Anna, seeing tears flooding down her cheeks. "Hey, are you okay?"

She reached out to Anna's shoulder, but Anna recoiled sharply, dropping the picture suddenly like it had burned her and ran out of the room. Zoey ran after her instantly, finding her in a corner of the living room. She knelt beside her, reaching out to her but Anna shrunk back again.

"Anna, please, talk to me," Zoey said.

"C...C...Cas...sy," Anna said.

"Are you afraid I still love her?" Zoey asked. "Anna, I love you. And Cassy's-"

"Dead," Anna finished. "W...Witch. S...S...Sorry."

She began bawling again and Zoey stared at her.

"Why are you...apologizing?" Zoey asked.

"C...C...Cassy," Anna sobbed.

"What about her?" Zoey asked. "Anna, I don't understand. Please, talk to me."

"K...K...Killed...Cassy!" Anna sobbed, Zoey staring at her, mouth agape.

"You... _You_ killed Cassy?" Zoey asked, Anna nodding. "But...why? How could you...why didn't you tell me?"

"D...D...Didn't...know...name," Anna sobbed. "Remember...f...faces. S...Saw...picture...remembered. S...So...so...sorry!"

Zoey stared at her in silence for sever moments. "Why? Why did you kill Cassy?"

"D...Don't...know," Anna sobbed.

"No!" Zoey snapped, Anna sobbing harder. "I don't know isn't good enough! You're intelligent! Why did you kill her?"

D...Don't...know!" Anna sobbed and pleaded. "Don't know! W...Wasn't...int...telli...gent...until...y...you! Don't know! Sorry!"

Zoey watched as Anna curled forward, pressing her forehead to the ground, hugging herself and sobbing. She could hear the guilt and the pain in Anna's voice. She was heartbroken. She truly regretted what she had done. And yet, Zoey wasn't sure how she felt. Was it wrong of her to love the person that had killed the last person she loved?

Finally, Zoey sighed, scooting over beside Anna and lifting her up into a hug, Anna sobbing into Zoey's shoulder, continuing to sob out "Sorry" again and again.

"Sshh," Zoey shushed her, gently stroking her back calmingly. "Sshh. I know. I know. It's okay."

"F...Forgive?" Anna asked, looking up at Zoey.

"No," Zoey said, wishing she couldn't see the pain in Anna's eyes as she spoke. "I don't know if I can ever forgive you for killing Cassy. But I still love you."

She kissed the witch gently before pulling her head back onto her shoulder, rocking gently. Slowly, Anna began to calm down until she finally stopped crying. they stayed there for a long while, remaining silent, before Zoey stood, pulling Anna up.

"Come on," Zoey said. "We've got to finish getting dressed. And thanks to you, we have to wash the bedding now too."

Anna managed a small smile and Zoey squeezed her gently. They reached the bedroom before someone began to pound on the door. Bothe quickly threw the rest of their clothes on and ran downstairs, Zoey looking out through the window slot, seeing Louis.

"Zoey!" Louis shouted. "Witch! Anybody! Help! They're coming!"

Anna quickly cleared the barricade and Zoey opened the door. Instantly, Louis stumbled through, dragging a wounded Francis, Bill sitting beside the door. Zoey grabbed him and dragged him inside as well and Anna shut the door, rebuilding the barricade quickly. Zoey dragged Bill to the kitchen, where Louis had Francis on the table. Anna lifted Bill onto the counter and ripped off his ruined jacket and shirt, beginning to tend to his injuries.

"What happened?" Zoey asked.

"Bill git pounced by a Hunter," Louis said. "Francis got caught by a witch, a human-looking one like Anna."

Anna and Zoey both froze.

"Brunette?" Zoey asked.

"It was hard to see," Louis said. "It was dark and she was only there long enough to do this then just left him."

Zoey hurried over, looking at Francis's wounds, seeing that the witch had carved letters into Francis's chest and stomach. Deep gashes too.

"Why is it...my name?" Zoey asked.

"Not a clue," Louis said, pressing gauze pads to his wounds. "Help me bandage him."

Zoey nodded, quickly grabbing the bandages from the medkit, the two working together to bandage him before Zoey moved over to Bill, helping Anna as well. Once both had been tended to, Anna carried Bill, Zoey and Louis following with Francis, to a guest bedroom with two beds, setting him in one of the beds. Zoey and Louis put Francis in the other and all left the room, heading down to the kitchen where Zoey got Louis some coffee and an ice pack for a bruised cut above his eye where he'd obviously banged his head.

"Thanks," Louis sighed.

"What took you guys so long?" Zoey asked.

"Everything went to shit after you two left," Louis said. "Seemed like we couldn't step out of a safe house without getting mobbed. We blew through so many bullets we could have supplied an entire army. But no matter how many we killed, more just kept coming. Eventually, we reached the safe house before this place just in time for a tank to rip the door out of the wall. I guess witches aren't the only ones who can break them.

"We managed to get away and it chased us. kept chasing us for hours, too. Eventually we killed it, but I swear, I've _never_ seen a tank like that. It had these little vines wrapping around its arms and it took at least triple the number of bullets a normal one takes. Course, by the time we killed it we realized we were lost.

"Took us a few days to find our way again. We found a gas station not far from this place, but somebody," he gave Zoey a knowing look, "had blown it up. Then we found a whole bunch of blood all over the sidewalk out behind it and followed a trail of it here. Except, just as we got near here, we found out why we'd been so busy.

"It was dark, and this whole horde shows up around us, with this witch in front of them. She just screams, and we expected her to attack, but instead the whole horde charges us, like they were following her orders. We started to fight them off, but a hunter got Bill, and then the witch got Francis. And then she just disappears, and we heard her scream. And then the infected leave too. Me and Francis carried Bill here, but Francis ran out of steam too. And then, when I went to knock, I heard that witch scream again, way off in the distance."

Zoey and Anna exchanged a worried look.

"That same witch nearly killed Anna," Zoey said. "I had to give her some of my skin to save her." Zoey lifted her shirt up a little, displaying her bandages.

"Jesus," Louis said. "You really are committed to saving her, huh?

"Yes," Zoey nodded. "I love her. And I don't expect you to understand. But I do."

"No, it's alright," Louis said. "I get it. The heart wants what the heart wants. We're just along for the ride. So, does our new friend have a name?"

"A...Anna," Anna said, holding out her hand. "Don't...speak...well."

Louis nodded, shaking her hand. "I guess Zoey was right about you getting smarter, too. What about this other witch? Are we safe from her?"

"No," Anna said. "Strong. Smart. Waiting...trap...us."

"Can you beat her?" Louis asked.

Anna shook her head.

"I damn near blew the bitch's head off and she just showed up after I closed the safe house door," Zoey said. "She knows we're here. And she's been letting Anna go out to hunt whenever necessary. But we can't stay here much longer. The food's almost gone, and the infected nearby are almost all gone, so Anna's been having to go far to hunt."

Louis nodded. "I thought that might be the case. So, I have a question, just because I know Francis will ask in a much...less pleasant way. Have you two..."

"Yes, Louis," Zoey smirked. "Anna and I have had sex."

Louis nodded. "I figured. Francis won't be keeping his opinions to himself."

"Let him talk," Zoey shrugged. "We'll deal with it."

Louis nodded and sighed. "I'm going to keep an eye on them tonight. I'll see you later Zoey. I want a nap while it's still peaceful."

Zoey nodded and Louis left the room. Once he had, Zoey and Anna began to get ready for the day, wordlessly agreeing that Anna would _not_ be hunting today.

* * *

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	11. Chapter 11

I do not own Left4Dead or any of the characters.

* * *

Reintroductions

Zoey finished preparing the last of the ammo for their inevitable journey to whatever safe house they went to next, then turned to Anna just as Anna finished sorting the food into what was being taken and what was going to be eaten in the last twenty four hours or so they had to rest. Zoey also saw the cake Anna had left off to the side on its own. She smiled knowingly.

"Anna, are you keeping a snack to yourself?" Zoey asked.

Anna smiled at her and she walked over, cupping her face and pulling her in for a gentle kiss. Anna began to kiss her back, hands resting on the small of Zoey's back. However, after a few seconds, a shout of surprise interrupted them.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" Francis's voice shouted. "What the fuck!?"

"Good morning to you too, Francis," Zoey sighed, giving Anna one last quick peck before turning to Francis.

"Choosing to travel with it for survival is one thing, but this is just fucking disgusting!" Francis spat. "That fucking thing ain't even human! Of all fucking things to choose to fuck, a fucking _dog_ would be less disgusting and immoral than that fucking thing!"

"Francis, shut the fuck up before I beat the shit out of you," Zoey said. "Whether you like it or not, I love Anna, and I'm not going to change how I feel about her to make you happy. You're free to leave, if you would prefer, you know, if you think you can make it past the witch that carved my name into your chest and let you live."

"Yeah, thanks for that, by the way," Francis said.

"Not...Z...Zoey...fault," Anna said.

"What the fuck!?" Francis shouted. "That thing fucking _talks_!?"

"Yes," Zoey said. " _Anna_ can talk. She's also just as capable of doing almost everything as any human. Speech is about the only thing we're struggling with."

"Probably because that _thing_ shouldn't _be_ speaking!" Francis spat.

"What the fuck are you yelling about, Francis?" Bill grumbled, limping into the kitchen, one hand resting against his injured chest, the other using an M16 like a cane.

"Zoey's fucking that...that _thing_!" Francis spat.

Bill turned, staring at Zoey and Anna in silence for a moment. Finally he grunted. "After nearly dying the other day trying to get here, I really don't give a shit what she and that witch do in their free time. If that witch can get us to the safe zone alive, I can probably ignore everything else."

Zoey smiled. "Thank you Bill. Her name's Anna, by the way. She can talk now. Though she still struggles some."

"You're kidding," Bill said.

"N...Nice...s-see...a...again," Anna said.

"Well shit," Bill said. "I suppose I owe you both an apology. You were right about her learning and being special. And...Anna, was it? I'm sorry for being an ass last time."

Anna smiled and nodded and used a claw to cut a slice of cake off, setting it on a plate and offering it to him. Bill chuckled.

"No thank you," Bill said. "I'm too old for cake. You go ahead."

Anna smiled and offered it to Francis instead, only for Francis to slap the plate out of her hand, the plate shattering on the floor, the cake splattering on what was left. Anna hissed at him and Francis grabbed the handle of his pistol, only for Zoey to beat him to the draw, leveling hers at his manhood.

"Put it away, Francis," Zoey said. "You started it. She was trying to be nice, and your slapped it out of her hand. I'd be mad too."

"It fucking _hissed_ at me!" Francis snapped.

"She's a witch!" Zoey snapped. "She's as intelligent as any human, and she can talk, but she's still a witch! Yes she fucking hissed at you! She can't talk well enough to yell at you!"

"I'm fucking killing that thing!" Francis snapped.

"Francis, if you don't put that goddamn pistol away, I'm going to shoot your dick off!" Zoey snarled.

"Francis, put it away!" Bill thundered. "Now!"

Francis stared at him incredulously for a moment before holstering his pistol, Zoey lowering her own as Louis stepped into the room cautiously.

"I guess you guys have already got re-introductions out of the way," Louis said.

"Did you know she was fucking that _thing_?" Francis demanded.

"Yeah," Louis said. "Their personal lives aren't my business. And neither is who they fall in love with."

"You're just as bad as she is!" Francis spat. "Both of you! I'm the only sane one left!"

"Enough," Bill said. "Either leave or shut the fuck up and keep your opinion to yourself. We need Anna to protect us. Especially if we meet that witch again."

"If we meet that witch again, we're running away," Zoey said. "It's stronger and faster, and so far it seems to be damn near unkillable."

"What do you mean?" Bill asked.

"It almost killed both of us in a fight," Zoey said. "Not that hard for me, but it beat Anna too. Then I damn near blew the bitch's head off. A few minutes later, after I had finished barricading the door, I looked out the window and it was just standing there watching me. Then it left and since then it hasn't interfered with anything, including Anna going out hunting, until you three got attacked.

"Oh so the bitches are working together!" Francis spat.

"No," Zoey said. "It's me she wants, for whatever reason. And the reason for her not attacking Anna is that she's trying to trap me."

"Then why not use Anna as a hostage?" Francis asked.

"Either she's not smart enough, or she's _too_ smart," Zoey said. "I don't know where Anna goes when she hunts. I don't know exactly where the infected are. That's why it's hunting. So her catching Anna wouldn't be a way to trap me because I wouldn't know where to look. And even if she _did_ try, Anna would never be captured alive, especially as bait to catch me, so she wouldn't be able to use her as bait against me anyway."

"Oh how fucking noble," Francis snarled, rolling her eyes. "The slut and her undead lesbian whore in shining bra and panties."

Anna shot forward, yanking Francis's pistol out of its holster and tossing it away as she lifted him by the throat, free hand holding its claws to his manhood. "Zoey...is...not...slut!"

"Anna, it's alright," Zoey said, setting a hand on her shoulder. "Put him down. Nothing he says about us matters."

Anna held him there for another moment before dropping him to the floor.

"Oh yeah," Francis growled, rubbing his throat. "I feel _so_ safe with the bitch around. This is a great idea."

Zoey turned, slamming her foot into his groin and dropping him. "If you would just shut the fuck up about us, you'd stop pissing us off. Then maybe you'd make it to the safe zone alive."

Francis growled a string of curses, but didn't really say anything, so Zoey turned away, walking over to Anna.

"You okay?" Zoey asked.

Anna nodded and Zoey hugged her, pulling back after a moment and slipping her hand into Anna's.

"We're not leaving until tomorrow," Zoey said. "For today, Francis, Bill, try to rest as much as you can. You'll probably both need it."

"That's reassuring," Francis grumbled.

Anna picked up the remaining cake and she and Zoey walked out of the room, back to their bedroom and closing the door, enjoying the cake in peace. After a while, a knock sounded on the door.

"It's open," Zoey said, Bill stepping in after a moment. "What's up?"

"I figured we should discuss where we're heading to next," Bill said, unrolling a map on the bed in front of Zoey and Anna. "We're here, and the safe zone's here. Obviously, since it's two states away, we can't walk there. Or, at least, I hope we don't have to. We found a survivor in a safe house while we were separated that say there's a radio here, about twenty miles from here, that we might be able to use to call the safe zone for help. These are the safe houses between us and the radio." He marked a few locations with a pen.

"I'd like it to be some place with a shower," Zoey said. "And running water. Anna tends to get a little messy when she fights and hunts."

"I can imagine she would, yeah," Bill nodded. "Well, there's not a whole lot of options. This one's in the sewer, so no shower there. This one's a mall. Maybe a couple of the bathrooms still works, but then there's a chance of getting attacked on the way there or back. This one's a hospital. There's probably a lot of medical supplies there."

"That could be important," Zoey said. "What's this?"

"That's an old church, I think," Bill said. "Suppose you could use the pool thing they baptize people in for a bath."

"That is so sacrilegious I think I might spontaneously combust if I tried," Zoey said.

"W...What...here?" Anna asked, pointing to one of the spots, this one a building surrounded by green and with a river running past it, then up toward the safe zone, reaching about five miles away at the closest.

"Uh..." Bill stared at the map for a moment. "I think that's an estate. One of them rich people ones. Good eye. They might have a boat."

"If not, it's pretty close to the radio," Zoey said. "Plus, since they were rich, their water might still work. They could have been on their own system. Hell, maybe their power's still on."

"Let's not get our hopes up," Bill said. "It's still fifteen miles away."

"Better fifteen than twenty," Zoey said. "Assuming we're right about the boat. Anna, do you know if there are any water infected?"

Anna shook her head. "Never...been...to...water."

Zoey nodded. "So, looks like the best path would be church, hospital, estate."

"Might have to go to the sewer," Bill said. "Depending on the conditions up top. And that other witch."

"Might have to run the entire way to the estate, depending on the conditions and that other witch," Zoey said. "For right now, we'll just plan for those three and be ready to change tactics if necessary."

Bill nodded, standing and turning to the door before pausing. "For the record, I glad you were able to find happiness in this hell, whatever the form. And I'm sorry for being a stubborn old man."

"Thank you," Zoey smiled. "Thank you so much."

Bill managed a small smile and walked away. Zoey turned back to Anna, seeing her staring at the bed sadly.

"What's wrong?" Zoey asked.

"C...Could...be happy...with...Cassy...if...not...me," Anna said.

Zoey stared at the bed for a moment before sighing and pulling Anna into a hug. "I love you, Anna. Don't ever believe that I don't. yes, Cassy's death hurt me, but I've made peace with it. I've moved on from her. You're the one I love now. And I wouldn't trade a second with you for anything. Even Cassy."

Anna wrapped her arms around Zoey, beginning to tremble slightly. Zoey smiled, kissing the top of her head before laying down, gently running her hand through Anna's hair as Anna cried silently.

* * *

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	12. Chapter 12

I do not own Left4Dead or any of the characters.

* * *

Trap

Anna looked around carefully as they walked, tense and expecting to see the brunette witch at any moment. It had been miles already. Anna had managed to kill a couple of infected and ate one on the spot, eating the next quietly as they walked. Yet aside from those two and a handful of others, they hadn't actually met anything. Something just felt wrong.

"Where the hell is that other witch?" Francis asked. "You'd think it'd want to come and claim its prize now that you're in the open like this."

"Maybe she doesn't want to risk fighting Anna again," Zoey said. "Maybe I actually hurt her more than I thought."

"Somehow I don't think that's it," Bill said. "Only another mile to the church."

Zoey nodded, all of them falling silent again just as Anna paused, setting the remains of the body she had apparently had her fill of down, catching up to Zoey once she had. Finally, a wide graveyard came into view with the church in the center. Zoey stopped.

"This is a terrible idea," Zoey said. "Why are we going to a cemetery during a zombie apocalypse?"

"We've got no choice," Bill said. "Let's just make it quick."

"And maybe while we're at the church God can cure whatever disorder Zoey's obviously suffering from to want to be with _that,_ " Francis said.

"Shut the fuck up, Francis," Zoey said, pushing the gate open.

They all quickly made their way through the cemetery, Zoey actually surprised that nothing woke up to kill them. Once they were inside the church, Louis and Zoey helped Anna barricade the door before Zoey and Anna explored quickly, killing the three infected present and piling their bodies in one corner for Anna to eat later if she got hungry. Once they had finished clearing the church, Zoey set to work organizing the safe house's ammo. A few minutes later, Anna walked over to her, holding out a bible. Zoey's eyebrows rose in surprise and she looked up at Anna, who looked somewhere between confused and expectant.

"That's a bible," Zoey said. "It's a book that christians believe was written by prophets of God."

Anna cocked her head to the side.

"It's...it's really complicated," Zoey said. "I'm sorry. I'd teach you but...I'm not really sure I could teach you. I...I haven't really believed in it since all of this started."

Anna whimpered slightly, holding the book a bit closer to Zoey. Zoey sighed, smiling and accepting the book.

"Francis, take over the ammo," Zoey said, walking to the altar with Anna.

She spent a few hours struggling to explain christianity and religion in general to Anna. Anna listened with wrapped attention. After a while, Zoey read a couple of passages from the bible to Anna before deciding to take a break. They walked through one of the doors at the back, finding themselves in a hallway. They followed it past several offices and storage rooms, as well as other rooms with a stage and such, before finally reaching the end and finding the bathrooms, one fore boys, one for girls. Out of curiosity more than anything, Zoey walked into the bathroom, looking around. Two sinks with a mirror stretching before them both, two bathroom stalls, and a changing table for a baby. Zoey turned the sink on, watching as water ran out of the faucet, stained brown from rust. She sighed, shutting it back off and they both returned to the main room of the church. As they did, a hatch opened on the altar and Louis climbed out of it.

"Hey," Zoey said.

"Oh hey," Louis said. "There's a tunnel down there that leads to an underground storage room. Kinda creepy."

"Well then get up here and close that door," Zoey said. "I've had enough scares just waiting for that witch to attack us."

"Good point," Louis said, climbing out and closing the hatch. "Where're the others?"

"Not sure," Zoey said. "We didn't see them inside."

"That's because we were checking the perimeter," Bill said, he and Francis walking into the building and closing the door.

"Bill, you're injured, you can't do that," Zoey said.

"The hell I can't," Bill said. "I walked five miles to get here, I can walk around a damn building once."

"See anything?" Zoey sighed.

"No," Bill said. "It's clear. Feels like a trap."

"I agree," Louis said. "We should have met at least _something_ other than Anna's breakfast."

"W...Wait...at...area...with...no..." Anna stopped, a frustrated look on her face as she gestured at the metal door that the front of the church had been changed to.

"Safe house," Zoey said. "That's a good point. The longest stretch his here to the next one. We need to be careful."

"We'll wait another hour then move out for the hospital," Bill said.

Zoey nodded and an uneventful hour later, they left. They crept through the streets silently, this time meeting infected every so often, like they had back before Anna, though there still weren't any rushes. They wound their way through a residential district, a factory district, and into a strip mall before things got bad. They were almost at the center of the square they were in when a roar rang out. However, before they could go anywhere, infected began to pour into the square from all sides.

"Shit!" Bill shouted. "We're boxed in!"

"Is this her!?" Louis shouted over the gunfire.

"Probably!" Zoey shouted back, looking around.

There was an open manhole off to one side. The sewer wasn't her favorite place, but at least there wasn't a full horde charging them down there. That she was aware of.

She walked over to it, glancing down and seeing it was clear. "Down here!"

The others all began to work their way over and Anna dropped first, then Zoey, then Louis, Bill, and finally Francis. As Francis splashed down, a charger's arm and head jammed themselves into the hole. Anna reacted instantly, jumping and slashing off its head, killing it and blocking the hole.

"Good job," Zoey smiled, Anna smiling back.

"Come on," Bill said. "There's a safe house this way, if I remember right."

They all followed Bill through the tunnels, the sewage water around their ankles swishing noisily as they walked, flashlights sweeping the tunnel around them. Finally they reached a walkway and climbed out of the sewage onto it walking to a door with a sign beside it.

"There's a tunnel junction up ahead," Bill said. "I'll have to use the map to find the right path."

"Just try to make it quick," Zoey said. "That sounds like a good spot for a horde attack."

"Good point," Bill nodded, opening the door.

They all stepped through, the door swinging closed behind them and walked to the center of the room. Instantly, several snorts reached their ears and they all spun, a tank stepping out of each tunnel. They all turned into an outboard circle, only to stop as the door opened again and the brunette witch stepped into the room, eyes instantly finding Zoey and remaining fixed on her and the witch walked over to take her place in the circle of tanks. There were eight tunnels. Eight tanks. And now the witch.

"What do you want from me?" Zoey demanded.

The witch grinned wickedly, claws extending, Anna's doing the same. The witch turned to glare at Anna, both growling menacingly. Zoey turned, aiming her AK at the witch. It growled even louder and the tanks all drew themselves up, preparing to attack.

"What do we do?" Zoey asked.

"What the hell _can_ we do?" Bill asked. "Can she beat all these tanks, _and_ that witch?"

"No," Zoey said.

"Alright then," Bill said turning.

A moment later, a grenade crashed into the witch's chest, exploding and launching her backward through the door. Instantly the tanks all roared and Anna leapt at one, tearing into it for a moment before it grabbed her and hurled her away, into the wall. Anna shrieked in pain as she hit and Zoey, who was spraying three of the tanks with her AK glanced over just as her magazine ran dry. She dropped the gun, drawing her sword and sprinting at the tank walking toward Anna, who clearly had a broken leg and arm. Then, Zoey slashed the back of the tank's legs before spinning around it as it fell to its knees and stabbed it up through the head. The moment she wrenched the blade out, the witch backhanded her, launching her away from Anna. Zoey landed hard only to look up as Louis blasted the witch in the back with a shotgun from point-blank range, the force actually throwing the witch down one of the tunnels. Zoey stood, slashing a second tank across the back, severing its spinal cord and making it collapse for Zoey to decapitate, Then, she ran to Anna, kneeling beside her and inspecting the breaks. Both looked bad. They were already purple and swollen. Zoey swore. Internal bleeding.

"We need to leave!" Zoey shouted. "Anna's hurt!"

"That's going to be trouble!" Bill shouted, a ways down one tunnel, Louis and Francis both also down different tunnels, the tanks all following them, two each.

"Split up!" Louis said. "We can meet up later!"

"Got it!" Francis said, turning and sprinting away.

Zoey turned, Anna pulling herself onto Zoey's back and Zoey stood, looking between the two tanks walking toward her just as the witch stepped out from between the tanks.

"Don't run," the witch said.

Zoey turned, panic filling her as she sprinted down the tunnel. She could hear the tanks thundering after them, but after a minutes, she skidded to the stop at the edge of a drop off, the tunnel below dark. She looked back, seeing the tanks lumbering toward them quickly, and for the briefest of moments, she was able to see the witch behind them, her blood red eyes seeming to glow. Then, Zoey stepped backward, dropping off of the ledge. A dull roar quickly began to grow from below as Zoey and Anna fell, Anna clinging to Zoey. Then, they reached a hole in the wall where water was rushing out and beginning to fall, slowing their descent quickly, though not fast enough. A moment later, they crashed down in a pool of water, both shooting down the fifteen feet or so, Zoey's once sprained ankle broke on impact with the grated of the tunnel. Zoey restrained a scream, not wanting any sewage in her mouth, and swam to the surface, lifting Anna out into a side passage, then pulled herself out after her.

She quickly gripped Anna's arm on either side of the break and reset it, Anna screaming in pain. Then, Anna sat up, resetting her own leg. After several seconds, she stood, lifting Zoey and hobbling quickly away from the tunnel they had fallen down. Zoey wanted to tell her to stop, to put her down and rest, but when she looked back at the dark tunnel, she could swear she saw red eyes, so she kept silent. A few minutes later, they reached a safe house door and slipped inside, Anna setting Zoey on a metal table off to one side before quickly locking the door, looking out through the window.

"Do you see Francis and the others?" Zoey asked.

Anna shook her head.

"Barricade it," Zoey said. "If that witch comes in here, we're dead."

Anna glanced at Zoey before nodding and quickly barricading the door, looking out one last time before blocking the window. Once she was finished, she hopped up to sit beside Zoey, using her claw to drain the blood in her arm and leg. The holes sealed themselves after a moment and Anna lay her head on Zoey's shoulder. Zoey stared down at herself, and the dirt and what she hoped was clumps of mud covering them both.

"We need to get cleaned up," Zoey said. "I really hope this is just mud."

Anna nodded in agreement and looked around, then raised a hand, pointing to a hose on the wall.

"Better than nothing," Zoey sighed. "Alright, let's get cleaned up and figure out our next move."

Anna nodded, helping Zoey over to the hose, already seeming to be mostly healed, only a slight limp left. Zoey was kind of jealous of her healing ability. Once both of them were hosed off and clean, they began to search the safe house, finding a map of the sewer system along with a couple medkits and some ammo. It wasn't much, but it was good enough for them to figure out what to do next.

* * *

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	13. Chapter 13

I do not own Left4Dead or any of the characters.

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Mercy Revisited

Zoey held onto Anna, eyes sweeping the city around them as they walked silently toward the hospital. She didn't want to go in there. Not after Mercy. But they had to. It was the next safehouse. Granted, that safehouse was at the top of the hospital, which was even taller than Mercy Hospital had been, and Anna was watching the hospital in the same sort of nervous, fearful silence that she always got when there were witches around, so Zoey was doubting the likelihood of them actually _reaching_ the safe house.

"Is it her?" Zoey finally asked as they're passing an ambulance.

Anna nodded in silence as she ripped a side panel off of the ambulance, holding a medkit up for Zoey, who accepted it and slipped it over her arm before holding onto Anna again, drawing her pistol with one hand. Anna reached the automatic doors, and when they didn't immediately slide open, reached up and pushed the glass, shattering it and allowing her to walk through the doors. Within a second, infected swarmed out of a door off to the side from deeper in and Zoey opened fire as Anna waited. The moment Zoey ran dry, she released Anna, who took off instantly, shredding her way through the remaining infected as Zoey waited for her, having landed on her good leg and carefully lowered herself to the ground before reloading. After a few more moments, Anna walked back over and knelt, Zoey climbing back on. Anna began to walk again, eyes sweeping the hallways and doors as she passed, Zoey keeping her pistol ready but both arms around Anna's shoulder.

"Can you tell if the others are here?" Zoey asked.

Anna shook her head. Zoey nodded in silence and Anna reached up, wrapping one hand over Zoey's forearms in front of herself comfortingly. Zoey smiled appreciatively and pressed a light kiss to Anna's cheek before turning her head back to the front. Just as she did, Anna slowed to a stop in front of an elevator, pressing the button to summon it. Nothing. She extended her claws and used them to pry the doors open, crumpling them outward slightly as she did, before leaning into the elevator shaft, Zoey aiming her flashlight up the shaft. The elevator was about three floors above them. Anna slashed the elevator's cables then leaned back just before the elevator went screaming past and crashed into the bottom of the shaft in a deafening collision that set Zoey's ears ringing painfully.

"Was that really necessary?" Zoey asked, just before an infected somewhere in the hospital roared, hundreds more roars answering.

Anna leapt into the shaft instantly, driving her claws into the wall on the opposite side, securing herself before beginning to use her claws to scale the elevator shaft. After a moment, she paused, pressing her legs against the wall before using one hand to lift Zoey onto them, then began to climb again, legs holding themselves in a seated position to keep Zoey on them. Zoey, despite knowing full well that Anna was stronger than she could possibly imagine, found herself impressed by the feat. Slowly, Anna crawled up the wall of the elevator shaft. As they passed the doors of each level, they could hear infected scratching and clawing at the doors, trying to force their way in. But they couldn't. At least, until about the tenth floor. Just as they finished passing the door, it suddenly exploded inward, a charger bellowing its dismay as it followed the doors down the elevator shaft. Then, there were infected flooding through the door. Zoey swore, aiming at the door. She didn't fire yet though. Good thing, too, as a hunter jumped to the wall of the elevator shaft below them a moment later, catching the holes Anna's claws were leaving. Before it could pounce on them, Zoey put a bullet into its head and it shrieked in pain, leaping off the wall, only to crash into a jockey that had tried to leap to Anna directly, both plummeting down the shaft. Then, a Tank exploded through the doors, crashing into the opposite wall and tearing down it a ways, ripping the wall apart for a ways before stopping itself. It began to climb, using its own monstrous strength to secure its entire hands, the tremors nearly dislodging Anna from the wall. Suddenly, a Smoker's tongue wrapped around Anna's arm, only for her to instantly grab it and yank, the Smoker streaking through the doorway and crashing into the back of the tank's head before Zoey shot the end of its tongue off. As the smoker fell, its tongue wrapped around the tank's neck in a desperate attempt to save itself. Of course, instead, the tank began to tip backward. Zoey put three bullets in the Tank's face and it roared in rage and pitched backward even more, hands breaking free of the wall. Then, it bellowed one final time as it and the smoke disappeared into the darkness below. Zoey glanced back at Anna, seeing that she was actually sweating, and they had definitely slowed, Anna having to take a moment between each rise now.

"Take the next door," Zoey said.

Anna stared at her for a moment before nodding. She began to work her way around the shaft, Zoey shooting two hunters and a smoker as they jumped into the shaft as she did. Finally, Anna reached the door and used her claws to rip one side of the door inward. It was blessedly clear of infected, but just as she ripped the door inward, a pair of tanks leapt into the shaft. Anna hissed angrily and twisted, sending the door spinning down at them, embedding it into the higher tank's back and it dropped onto the other, that one's grip failing and both fell into the darkness before Anna lifted Zoey through the opening. Then, a tongue wrapped around her, and she was yanked back through the opening with a scream.

"Anna!" Zoey shrieked, throwing herself into the door and looking down, seeing Anna had caught herself on one wall but was below the tenth floor door now.

Infected were hurling themselves at her constantly, and it was all Anna could do to shake them off while clinging to the wall. panic and desperation flooded Zoey, suffocating her. She screamed until her throat felt like it might bleed, banging her pistol against the door of the elevator as she did. It was an act born entirely of desperation, but it worked. The flood of infected into the elevator shaft stopped and Anna shook the last of the infected off and leapt to the door Zoey was in, picking her up and swinging her onto her back, ignoring her own scratches and bites. Then, she turned, sprinting through the hospital, a low, feral growl ringing out of her almost constantly as she ran.

"I'm sorry," Zoey said, wrapping her arms around Anna. "I know it was stupid. But I couldn't lose you."

Anna whimpered and continued to run. After a moment, they reached a staircase and Anna smashed the door inward, taking the stairs three at a time. Zoey glanced back, seeing infected scrambling up after them, maybe a half-level down. She shot one of the leaders in the leg, tripping up the horde and buying them enough time to make it to the top floor. Anna burst through the door in the span of time it took Zoey to realize they were there, and suddenly they were running through a cafeteria, Anna sending the door spinning back they way they had come, though Zoey found she didn't have the courage to look back and see why. Anna continued to run through the building, leaving the cafeteria into a maze of hallways, and didn't even slow a little until they had reached anther stairwell, this one leading directly to the roof.

Just as Anna flattened the door against the stairs, the wall to their right all but exploded and a tank burst through. Zoey screamed, a muscle reaction as much as an acknowledgement of there being a tank, and Anna leapt over the stair entirely so fast Zoey could almost be convinced they had teleported. Or maybe it was just that her brain had been struggling to keep up with what was happening since they had reached the hospital.

Anna sprinted out onto the roof, slashing several infected as they charged her on the way to the safe house. However, after a few moments, she skidded to a stop inside the safe house door and slammed it shut, all but throwing the refrigerator, a heavy metal table, and an oven, of all things, in front of the door. Zoey could practically feel Anna's fear, and slipped her hand into Anna's, Anna glancing at her, then back to the door. Zoey opened her mouth to tell Anna they were safe, only for her words to be drowned out by a deafening metallic screech. Her words died on her lips instantly as she stared at the brunette witch, who yanked the fridge and oven out through the doorway and hurled them over her shoulders, grinning wickedly, the safehouse door lying crumpled on the roof behind her.

"I told you not to run," the witch hissed. "Now I'll have to punish you two."

"Anna, we need to leave," Zoey said. "We need to leave right now."

"Anna," the witch mused, watching Anna with a cold hatred, moving her mouth as if she were trying to find a place where Anna's name hadn't left a bad aftertaste. "Is that that thing's name?"

Zoey swallowed hard reaching for her pistol, only for the witch to snap her head around toward Zoey, growling loudly. Zoey froze, Anna stepping in front of Zoey. And just like that, the witch's glare was back on Anna.

"You really are something," the witch snarled. "After all this time, all the trouble I had to go through to find you, and now I find out you've gone and fallen in love with this...monster."

Zoey stared at the witch in confusion. The witch continued to glare at Anna, but there was something about the look. There was a level of hatred that Zoey couldn't understand. One that scared her to no end. Beside her, Anna whimpered, small and terrified, and something else. Remorseful. Like a puppy being scolded or spanked, or a young child apologizing after being yelled at.

"Who are you?" Zoey demanded, trying to sound more brave than she felt. Trying to sound as though she wasn't afraid. For Anna.

"Ask your little whore," the witch snarled. "It's her fault I'm like this anyway."

Zoey, stared at the witch another moment before glancing at Anna, seeing the tears rolling down her cheeks. Zoey's blood turned to ice as realization began to set in, her stomach twisting into knots, and her ribcage shrinking rapidly, her heart failing to do the same.

"C...C...Cassy," Anna whimpered. "S...S...Sorry."

"It's too late for sorry!" Cassy spat. "You turned me into this! This...This thing! This freakish undead monster! And then you had the nerve to try and steal Zoey? No. I won't let you. I'll take Zoey back as soon as I'm done ripping you apart!"

"No," Zoey breathed before pushing herself onto her good foot. "Please. Cassy, don't do this."

Cassy ignored her, shrieking in rage and streaking past Zoey, crashing into Anna and exploding out through the back of the small building they were in. Zoey hopped toward the door as fast as she could, leaping out of the door just as the building collapsed.

"Zoey!" Anna screamed.

"I'm okay!" Zoey shouted back, pushing herself up and hopping around the side of the debris pile where she could see Anna and Cassy fighting.

Anna was sporting a multitude of gashes already, and Cassy was almost unharmed. Just as Zoey got where she could see them, Cassy hurled Anna, Anna crashing to the ground in front of Zoey. Zoey cried out, falling to her knees beside Anna and quickly yanking bandages out of her medkit, pressing them to Anna's worst wounds, tears flooding down her face.

"Cassy, please!" Zoey pleaded, looking up at her as Cassy stalked toward them, hatred shining from her eyes. "Why are you doing this!?"

"She killed me!" Cassy spat. "She tried to steal you to spite me! I'll kill her!"

Zoey pushed herself up, moving into Cassy's path and aiming at her, but beginning to cry harder. "Cassy, please stop this! I don't want to fight you!"

"Don't you see what you're doing?" Cassy asked. "You're choosing a disgusting monster over me. You're choosing a _witch_ over your girlfriend."

" _You're_ a witch!" Zoey said. "Anna's not a monster! She's done nothing but protect me since we met!"

"SHE KILLED ME! ! !" Cassy shrieked again. "Get out of the way so that I can kill her!"

"No!" Zoey sobbed. "I can't, Cassy! Please don't make me!"

"Move now!" Cassy snarled.

"I can't!" Zoey sobbed. "I love her! Please don't do this!"

"MOVE! ! !" Cassy shrieked, charging without even waiting for a response, moving to pass Zoey before she could react.

"NO! ! !"

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	14. Chapter 14

I do not own Left4Dead or any of the characters.

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Showdown

"Get out of the way so that I can kill her!"

"No!" Zoey sobbed. "I can't, Cassy! Please don't make me!"

"Move now!" Cassy snarled.

"I can't!" Zoey sobbed. "I love her! Please don't do this!"

"MOVE! ! !" Cassy shrieked, charging without even waiting for a response, moving to pass Zoey before she could react.

"NO! ! !"

Zoey tackled Cassy, only for Cassy to throw her off instantly. As Cassy stood, Anna's claws raked across her face, taking both eyes out. Then, Anna clawed her up the front. Then across the stomach to the side. Then down across the face. Then, as Anna moved to strike again, Cassy caught her arm, shrieking in victory and raising her other hand, claws extended. Zoey cried out in desperation, driving her sword into Cassy's side. Cassy shrieked, backhanding Zoey and launching her away before ripping the sword out. However, just as she did, Anna slashed both of her forearms. Cassy's hands went limp and Anna shrieked, push kicking her and sending her flying backward, limbs flailing. She exploded into a small building of some kind there, like a storage building, and Zoey grabbed her fallen pistol and sword, waiting.

Sure enough, Cassy burst back out of the wall a moment later with a giant chunk of stone in her hands, all of her wounds healed. She hurled the stone at Anna, hitting her in the chest and throwing her, Anna bouncing a couple of times and whimpering as she struggled to stand, collapsing back to the roof. Zoey opened fire at Cassy, tears flooding down her face. How had this become her life? Why did this have to happen? Was fate, or God, or whoever, truly so cruel? Why did she have to kill one person she loved to save the other?

Her pistol ran dry and she dropped the mag, quickly pulling out another with her fingertips, not releasing her sword, then slammed it back in, opening fire again, every bullet hitting Cassy, who was completely unfazed by the pistol's bullets, just like any other witch she had ever met, besides Anna.

Zoey grit her teeth. This wasn't fair. Life wasn't fair, but this was a whole new level of unfair. It was cruel. It was wrong. She couldn't lose Anna, not even for Cassy, and yet, she knew that she would never be able to forgive herself if Cassy died. But Cassy clearly wasn't going to listen to anything Zoey had to say. This was too much. This was more than she could take.

Her pistol ran dry again and she let it fall, the pistol hitting the ground at the same time as Zoey slashed her sword as Cassy was moving to pass her. The sword split Cassy's side wide open, and Cassy shrieked in pain, turning and grabbing Zoey by the throat, lifting her off the ground. Zoey's face screwed up in pain as Cassy's claws began to cut into her neck on the back.

She couldn't do this. She couldn't fight Cassy. And she couldn't bear to lose Anna. She couldn't take this. She couldn't live with this choice. So maybe she should just let herself die. Maybe it _would_ be better to just disappear from this world. There was no cure. The entire world had fallen. There wouldn't be any chance of humanity retaking the planet from the infected. It was too late. There were too few. So maybe...she _should_ die here. At least she could die with the two loves of her life.

"ZOEY! ! !" Anna screamed.

Zoey's arm snapped up, completely unbidden, and the sword removed Cassy's hand at the elbow. Cassy screamed, a long, heartbroken shriek of pain and betrayal. Zoey felt herself break and began to cry.

"I'm sorry!" Zoey sobbed. "Cassy I'm so sorry! Please, stop! Please! I don't want to hurt you anymore!"

Cassy screamed and lunged, slashing completely through Zoey's sword, leaving four shallow scratches across Zoey's stomach, just barely enough to bleed. Then, Anna tackled Cassy, slashing her remaining forearm before beginning to shred her. Zoey sobbed, pressing her forehead to the ground and covering her ears, trying desperately to block out the screams. Suddenly, Cassy slammed an open-hand slap into Anna, throwing her off before charging and slashing at her with her one hand. Anna ducked under it and split Cassy's torso up the front, then across the stomach. Then, she retracted her claws and caught Cassy by the hair, swinging her around and hurling her at the edge of the building. Cassy used her claws to skid to a stop, holding them backward so they didn't cut through the stone, and shrieked. Then, she charged, knocking Anna's slash aside and tackling her, her own claws severing the muscles in Anna's arms, leaving them useless before beginning to tear into her. Anna screamed, blood flying, and Zoey's head snapped up, eyes wide as she watched Cassy tear at Anna. Anna's hand twitched, dragging across the ground to reach for Zoey as Anna screamed, tears running out of her eyes. Zoey felt herself move without even considering it. She sprinted forward, tackling Cassy off of Zoey, sobbing out apologies as she drove the broken bit of blade attached to her sword's hilt into Cassy's face again and again. She couldn't lose Anna. She _wouldn't_ lose Anna. Finally, Cassy kicked her off, Zoey rolling across the roof as Cassy stood, shrieking in rage as her face sealed rapidly. Then, she began to stalk toward Anna again. Zoey pushed herself up and looked to the side, seeing she was next to the building Anna had thrown Cassy into before. And lying on the ground beside her was a single-shot grenade launcher, fully loaded.

"Cassy! Please stop!" Zoey grabbed the grenade launcher and aimed at Cassy. "Please!"

Cassy ignored her, continuing toward Anna. So, Zoey fired, the recoil punching her shoulder and eviscerating her heart. The grenade hit Cassy in the center of the back, sending her flying forward. Cassy bounced twice before spinning out into the open air, spinning away from the hospital and screaming miserably as she fell. Then, there was a painfully loud crash as she pancaked an ambulance, and Zoey began to sob anew, rushing to Anna's side, pulling her shirt off and pressing it to Zoey's basically missing abdomen. Anna whimpered in pain and lifted a hand weakly, cupping Zoey's face, thumb brushing away Zoey's tears. Zoey shook her head, knocking Anna's hand away.

"Please!" Zoey sobbed. "Please don't do this to me! I can't lose you! Please stay with me!"

Anna smiled sadly. "L...L...Love...you...Zoey."

"Please!" Zoey sobbed. "Bite me! Eat as much as you need! Anything! Just stay with me!"

Anna lifted one of Zoey's hands, barely having the strength to, and laced their fingers together. "T...Tired. S...Sleep now."

"No!" Zoey pleaded. "No, you can't sleep! You have to stay awake! You can't leave me!"

Anna smiled again as her eyes slowly slid closed, her head tilting to the side. Zoey fell forward, pressing her forehead to the backs of her hands, one of which was still holding Anna's. Her entire body shook with her sobs, and her pleas for Anna to wake up, to not go away, were only barely able to be counted as actual words. She didn't move again, remaining there, sobbing, until the sun had set, and the sky began to lighten again.

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	15. Chapter 15

I do not own Left4Dead or any of the characters.

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Broken

Zoey stared numbly at the safehouse symbol. She was almost there. The Estate was barely a thousand meters away. A few hundred meters and she'd be safe. Not that it mattered to her anymore. After the hospital, almost nothing mattered to her. She looked back at Anna, held against her back, unmoving and peaceful. She could almost be asleep. Almost.

"We're almost there, Anna," Zoey said, choking up, voice trembling. "Just a little further."

She began to walk again as tears ran down her blood-stained cheeks. She shifted Anna a little higher on her back. They were almost there. They had promised to go to the Safe Zone together, and they were almost there. Just a bit further. They were so close.

Zoey's injured leg gave out suddenly and she crashed tot he ground, Anna rolling away from her. She didn't get up. She just lay there, beginning to cry, curling into a ball and hugging her knees to her chest, burying her face in her knees. She wanted to die. She wanted to join Anna. And Cassy. She had sworn to look after Anna. She had promised to always be there for her. But she hadn't been. She had failed her. She had let her die. She wasn't good enough. She had failed. And because of it, Anna was gone.

She finally sat up, turning to stare down at Anna, her abdomen missing, her entire body coated in blood. She began to cry all over again as she rested one hand on the top of Anna's head, thumb gently brushing over her forehead, her other hand resting on Anna's chest, between her collarbones. Zoey began to sob, pressing her forehead to Anna's.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry Anna! Please forgive me!"

She continued to cry for what felt like hours. Every hiccupping gasp shook her whole body, and every sob sent pain radiating through her throat. Any time she opened her eyes and saw Anna, her heart shattered inside her chest all over again, sending jagged shards of glass ripping through her. Finally, her tears dried and her sobbing subsided. She sat up, staring down at Anna in silence, her heart continuously shattering in her chest. And still she stared. She deserved the pain. It was her fault Anna was gone, so she deserved whatever pain she felt.

A hand settled on her shoulder and she looked back, seeing Bill kneeling beside her. She felt herself choke up again and broke down as Bill pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry," Bill said. "This is too cruel a fate."

"It w-was...C-Cassy!" Zoey sobbed. "The other w-witch! She was Cassy!"

Bill remained silent before tightening his hold. He didn't say anything. He couldn't. Nothing he could say would make a difference. Nothing would make this right. nothing could make this okay again.

"What...What happened to her?" Francis asked as he and Francis arrived after several minutes.

"She protected me from the other one," Zoey said, managing to stop crying, though not leaving Bill's embrace or wiping her eyes. "I couldn't save her."

Francis stared at Anna for several long minutes before sighing heavily. "I'm sorry, Zoey. For everything. I was an asshole, and...I'm sorry."

Zoey nodded mutely as Luis knelt, passing Zoey a bottle of pain pills before inspecting her leg.

"It's a clean break," Louis said. "Just need to be splinted. And it needs rest."

Zoey nodded, taking more of the pain pills than a doctor would recommend. Louis knelt, lifting Anna into a sitting position and Francis helping him get her onto his back before using a bungie cord he had with him, which he usually used to hold his crowbar, to help hold her there. Neither had to ask if Anna was coming. They could see the blood coating Zoey's back, and the lack of blood or other witches around them. No one said anything about Zoey carrying Anna with a broken ankle. In fact, no one said anything. Bill helped Zoey up and helped her support her weight as they continued toward the estate. After about twenty minutes, they walked up the stairs onto the porch and Bill left Zoey against the door frame as he and Francis quickly went inside and searched it for infected. Once they had made sure it was safe, they returned to the others and Bill helped Zoey inside, all of them heading to a bedroom near the center of the house on the ground floor. Francis and Louis carefully lay Anna on the bed and Bill set Zoey on the bed beside Anna, Zoey clinging to Anna, beginning to cry silently again. The others left the room and Zoey stayed there, crying into Anna's shoulder until she had cried herself to sleep. When she woke, the stars were out and there were a pair of wooden crutches beside the bed. Zoey used them to stand, staring down at Anna for a moment before leaving the room, beginning to search for the bathroom.

After a few minutes, she found the kitchen, Bill sitting at the table, a half-empty bottle of vodka in front of him as he rested his head in his hands, suddenly seeming ten years older. Zoey sat down across from him, picking up the bottle and taking a long few swallows before setting it back down, barely feeling the burn. Bill watched her in silence before sighing.

"No one was supposed to see me like this," Bill said.

Zoey nodded silently. "Is there a boat?"

Bill nodded. "It's empty, but there's some gas cans in the shed labelled 'BOAT,' so we're assuming that's probably what we're looking for."

Zoey snorted humorlessly, taking another swig of vodka. "Probably, yeah." She sat in silence for a moment before setting a hand on the crutches. "Thanks for these, by the way."

"They were in the closet," Bill shrugged. "How are you?"

Zoey was silent a long while. "Broken. I...I don't know if I can come back from this one, Bill. Anna...Anna was everything to me."

Bill nodded. "I know. You know, there's a spot with a nice view by the river. If you want to...you know."

Zoey shook her head. "I promised her we'd get to the Safe Zone together."

Bill nodded, watching her. "We have to assume that when we start up that boat, we'll be swarmed. And we have to assume the ride will not be safe."

"I know," Zoey nodded. "If it comes to it, leave me behind. I'm just dead weight, and I'm making you all carry even more dead weight by wanting to bring her body."

"Zoey-"

"Bill," Zoey said calmly. "This is the way things are now. We may not like it, and we may wish things could go back to the way they were, but we have to accept that this is the way things are. If someone slows the group, the group's only option is to leave them behind."

"We will _not_ leave you behind!" Bill snapped.

Zoey smiled sadly for a few moments, studying the table, before nodding. "Where's the bathroom?"

"Down the hall to the left," Bill said, pointing.

Zoey nodded and took one last drink before making her way down the hallway. Once she was finished, she headed back to her room, climbing into bed with Anna again, gently trailing a hand up and down Anna's arm. "We found a boat. We can get a ride to the Safe Zone. Or, at least, close to it. Just a couple more days and we'll be there. Isn't it great?" She began to tear up again. "We're almost home."

She broke, pressing her face into Anna's shoulder again, clinging to her. Fate was too cruel. It was too much. She couldn't take this. Anything but this. Before she knew it, Bill sat on the bed, resting a hand on her shoulder. She looked out the window, sniffing and wiping her eyes. The sun was starting to rise. Time to go. She sat up, carefully climbing out of bed and leaning on her crutches.

"I'll bring Anna," Bill said. "Head on outside and Louis will lead you to the boat."

Zoey nodded and left, pausing only for a few seconds to stare at Anna. Once she was outside, Louis met her with a hug, Zoey leaning into him for a moment before pulling back. "Which way?"

"It's over here," Louis said. "It's only a little ways. Maybe a couple minutes at most."

Zoey nodded and followed him toward the corner of the estate, where a path led into the trees, toward the river. However, just as they were halfway, a roar rang out, loud and reverberating. Then many more of them echoed it back. Louis swore.

"Not now!" Louis swore. "Follow the path! I gotta get the fuel!"

Zoey nodded, then glanced back toward the house just as Bill stepped out of the door with his M16, alone. "Bill! Where's Anna?"

"There's no time!" Bill said, running toward her, only for her to grab his arm as he began to pass. "We have to go! Now!"

"Either you get Anna or I will!" Zoey snapped.

"Ah Hell!" Francis said. "I'll fucking do it! You two get to the boat!"

He sprinted toward the house, and Zoey and Bill hurried toward the boat. They reached it within two minutes of following the trail, even at Zoey's speed. As soon as they were on, Zoey dropped her crutches, hopping to the chain gun mounted at the front of the boat. She didn't even question its presence. At this point, nothing surprised her. She swung it around toward shore just as infected began to swarm out of the trees, only to be mowed down by her and Bill. And then more. And more. And more. Zoey began to worry when she hit three minutes and still she was shooting and not seeing Francis or Louis. She and Bill both were being careful not to shoot toward the Estate, so they definitely didn't accidentally shoot them.

Finally, Louis burst out of the trees, sprinting full-tilt to the boat, carrying six gas cans, all full. Zoey glanced at him, then back at the path. Where was Francis? Where was Anna? Zoey bit her lip, debating grabbing the AK one of them had left on the ground and heading back for them. However, before she could, Francis emerged from the trees, puffing and wheezing, sweat pouring down his beet-red face as his legs pumped hard, eyes wide with panic and Anna strapped to his back, his hands behind her to hold her up. He tried to shout something but he wasn't breathing well enough. Not that it mattered. A moment later, a tank charged out of the trees. Bill announced its presence just ass Zoey began to spray it with as many rounds as her chain gun would allow. The tank roared, actually raising its arms to try and protect itself, only for Bill and Francis to focus their own fire on its lower half. Together, they managed to amputate both legs and the tank crashed to the ground, exposing its back and head to Zoey's wrath. A few moments later, the barrels of her gun spun to a stop, having finished ripping the tank's back up and turning its head to ribbons.

"I got it!" Louis shouted, emptying the last of the gas into the boat. "Try it now!"

Bill darted into the boat's wheelhouse and a moment later the boat's engine roared to life, chugging and sputtering slightly as it left the dock, Francis cutting the rope attaching it there with a knife, allowing them to begin heading upstream. Everyone sighed a collective breath of relief and Louis helped Francis set Zoey on the deck of the ship before replacing Zoey on the gun, Zoey making her way over to sit beside Anna, lifting her torso into her lap to cradle her. No one spoke. Their journey wasn't over. At the very least they'd have about five miles to travel to reach the safe zone later. If they were lucky. They weren't safe yet. So they remained silent and alert.

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	16. Chapter 16

I do not own Left4Dead or any of the characters.

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Horded

The roar cut through the air and Zoey swore, hobbling faster. Francis stayed at her side, one hand holding Anna on as the other held his pistol. Louis and Bill had taken up the front and rear spots, but as soon as the roar rang out, Louis sprinted forward. They had reached the last city before the Safe Zone, but that simply made it more dangerous. They were barely three miles from the Safe Zone, and yet, there wasn't a safe room anywhere in the city. And with Zoey and Francis slowed as they were, Zoey by her broken ankle and Francis by carrying Anna's body, they might as well be dozens of miles away for how long it would take them to get there.

"There's a small storage building up ahead we can hide in!" Louis called out. "Shit! Bill! Behind you!"

Zoey didn't look back. She didn't have time. She was the reason they were so slow. Bill opened fire on whatever it was and Zoey simply crutched as fast as she could, throwing herself forward from crutch to foot to crutch. Francis ran along beside her, shooting off to the side a couple of times, and Louis disappeared into the building, firing several times before stepping back out and opening fire off to the opposite side as Francis. They were close. They could make it. A hand closed around Zoey's abdomen, one which reached from waist to breasts and encircled her entirely. Then, that same hand hurled her. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying to survive the landing, and she did. Granted, when she hit the side of a car's nose and dented it with her right side ribs, it didn't feel too great, but she survived. She groaned as she pushed herself up slowly, looking to the others. The tank was ignoring them, going after the easy pray, even as they carefully shot it, taking care to aim so that they didn't hit Zoey. But they had other problems. In the horde, Zoey could see four Hunters, a Jockey, two Spitters, and a Charger. Bill focused on the Charger and dropped him. Louis dropped the Jockey and Spitters. But one of the Hunters pounced Francis, the bungie cord holding on Anna snapping as the Hunter's claws raked across his chest. He shouted in pain before Bill kicked the hunter off and killed it. Bill looked over at Zoey, and she felt her breath catch. She knew that look.

"Please!" Zoey said. "No! Don't do this to me again! Please!"

"We won't!" Bill shouted back, hurling a pipe bomb, with a bottle of Boomer Bile, managing to hit several zombies.

The horde swarmed the zombies, gathering around the bomb. Then, it went off and killed almost all of them. It also got the Tank's attention. It turned, grunting and starting after Bill and the others. They opened fire, scattering, and it chased Louis, only for Francis and Bill to riddle it with bullets. Finally, long after it should have died, it finally turned, roaring deafeningly, more roars answering. Finally, Bill pulled out his grenade launcher and fired his last grenade into its face, finally killing it. Francis immediately picked up Anna while Louis ran to Zoey. Together, the three men fled away from the scene. The shed apparently wasn't good enough for another horde. They fled through the streets as the horde behind them gained on them, Bill doing what he could to slow them. Then, they saw a chance. Up ahead was a fire escape. There was a step ladder leaned against it like stairs, and the stairs of the fire escape itself were still useable. They sprinted toward them quickly, Bill going first so he could get a better angle to shoot the zombies, firing back at them all the while. However, just as Louis set his foot on the steps, the wall behind the fire escape exploded, a Tank charging out of it with an angry roar.

As the debris and mangled fire escape was launched off of the wall, a chunk of debris slammed into Louis's chest, hurling him backward, and probably breaking his ribs, and Zoey landed heavily as he dropped her, Louis bouncing back down the alleyway a few meters. Francis, having been behind Louis, was knocked over by Louis and Zoey slamming into him, but wasn't hurt. However, he was the closest to the Tank as a result. And then, there was Bill. He landed in a roll, ending up beside Zoey as the fire escape section that had been knocked off the wall crashed down between them and Louis. Bill was on his feet instantly, firing into the horde heading for them, fending them off as he moved to save Louis, firing even as he climbed over the mangled, twisted metal.

Zoey turned back to the Tank just as it backhanded Francis, who had been emptying his pistol and M16 both into its head. Francis bounced off the wall of the alleyway, then crashed into Bill, who had just picked up Louis. All three crashed down in a heap and the Tank turned to look at Anna, snarling hungrily and picking the corpse up.

"NO! ! !" Zoey shrieked, grabbing her pistol and shooting at it. "ANNA! ! ! LEAVE HER ALONE! ! !" She forced herself to her feet, but a Hunter pinned her down instantly. She screamed, struggling to fend off its claws, managing to keep most of the severe wounds down to minor, if painful, scratches by some miracle. "Help! Bill! Francis! Somebody!" She looked up past the Hunter, only for fear to flood her. The Tank stood over her, a massive chunk of concrete in its hands as its dull, beady eyes stared down at her.

The Hunter looked up and shot out of the way and the Tank grunted, raising the stone higher.

"ANNA! ! !" Zoey screamed.

An enraged shriek pierced the air just before the Tank and its concrete chunk both took flight, flying over Zoey. If not for its startled bellow, she might have believed it had jumped. She watched as it exploded into the horde, both it and its weapon bounced through the infected, crushing them rapidly. Zoey's eyes turned to the Hunter that had been beside the Tank just as its body slumped to the ground, blood flooding out of the gaping, jagged gashes reaching from its left shoulder to the right side of its abdomen. Finally, Zoey's eyes shifted to the last thing standing before her. Pale skin caked in blood. Bare feet. Smooth legs. Blood-stained panties. Four jagged, pearly white scars sideways across her flat abdomen. Bloodstained bra covering petite, B-cup breasts. Arms hanging at her sides, fingers extended into six-inch claws. A face more beautiful to Zoey than any angel. Pale, white-blonde hair. Soft pink eyes, the same shade as cherry blossoms.

"Anna," Zoey breathed, tears flooding down her face. "Anna!"

Anna's claws retracted instantly and she snatched Zoey up off the ground into a hug, spinning. "Z...Z...Zoey safe!"

"Yes!" Zoey almost sobbed. "I'm okay! But...how are you alive?"

Anna shook her head, frowning slightly. Zoey smiled, kissing Anna to make her stop frowning, Anna instantly responding in kind. After a few seconds, Zoey pulled away.

"I love you!" Zoey smiled. "I love you so much! Please, don't ever leave me again! I couldn't bear it!"

"P...Promise," Anna smiled. "L...L...Love you...too."

Zoey smiled, kissing her again before pulling back, looking to the others. Bill was on his feet, supporting Louis, and Francis was leaning against a piece of fire escape, looking like he might pass out.

"It's a miracle," Bill said breathed.

"Or it's the virus," Francis pointed out, then stopped. "Wait, does this mean that other one is..."

Zoey's eyes widened and she turned to Anna.

Anna nodded. "S...Smell...C...Cassy."

Zoey swallowed hard and nodded. "I won't let her hurt you this time. I'm not losing you again."

Anna smiled. "W...Wont let...Z...Zoey...hurt either."

Zoey smiled, nodding. "We should get moving."

Anna nodded and turned, kneeling down for Zoey. Zoey smiled, climbing onto Anna's back without question, wrapping her arms around the witch and squeezing lightly. Anna turned, walking over to the fire escape and easily cleared the others a path. Francis pushed himself to his feet, picking up his rifle and pistol as he passed them, and they all left the alleyway, Bill once again taking the lead.

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